CANCER INSTITUTE NSW ANNUAL REPORT 2005

2005
C A N C E R I N S T I T U T E N S W A N N U A L R E P O RT 2 0 0 5
Copyright Cancer Institute NSW October 2005
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requires written permission from the Cancer Institute NSW.
ISBN: 0 7347 3872 2
Suggested citation for manuscripts and publications:
Cancer Institute NSW: Annual Report 2004/05
Cancer Institute NSW, Sydney, 2005
Further copies of this publication can be downloaded from:
www.cancerinstitute.org.au
Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
CANCER INSTITUTE NSW
A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 0 4 / 0 5
Cancer Institute NSW 1
Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
Letter from the Minister
In July 2003, the State Government established the Cancer Institute NSW.
Cancer accounts for 28 per cent of all deaths in NSW and impacts significantly on the quality
of life of many people.
Since its inception, the Cancer Institute NSW has provided a much-needed focus to cancer
care and treatment. It has become a driving force for innovation and improvement in cancer
and has overseen a reduction in the mortality rates of many cancers.
The Hon. Frank Sartor MP
Over its first 18 months, the Cancer Institute NSW produced Australia's first state cancer plan. This plan is a
blueprint for action to improve cancer control.
Programs run by the Cancer Institute NSW are now well established.These programs are encouraging innovation in
cancer prevention, clinical services, research and information and include new positions for doctors, nurses, social
workers and researchers.
Cancer remains a major priority for the NSW State Government. We have made significant advances but there is
much more to be done with further improvements needed especially in bowel cancer, lung cancer and melanoma.
Future plans of the Cancer Institute NSW include reduction of tobacco consumption, new training programs for
cancer health professionals and better support for cancer patients.
The Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005 documents considerable achievement in a short time. The Board,
staff and many volunteers who made this achievement possible are sincerely thanked for their efforts. I commend
this report to the NSW Parliament and to the people of NSW.
The Hon. Frank Sartor MP
Minister for Planning
Minister for Science and Medical Research
Minister Assisting the Minister for Health (Cancer)
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Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
Index
Letter from the Minister 2 Appendix
Letter to the Minister from the Chairperson of 4 Appendix 1: The Board of the Cancer 67
the Board of the Cancer Institute NSW Institute NSW
Our Aims 5 Appendix 2: Cancer Institute NSW Staff 70
● Objectives of the Cancer Institute NSW Act 5 Appendix 3: Advisory Committees and 73
Working Parties
● Guiding Principles 5
Appendix 4: Funds allocated to health and 84
research institutions
Chief Cancer Officer Report Appendix 5: Organisational policies 90
and reporting
Summary 6
Appendix 6: Human Resources 91
Our Board 10
Appendix 7: Financial overview summary 93
Our Staff 11
Appendix 8: The 2005/2006 Budget 94
Our Executive Team 12
Appendix 9: Reporting on payment 96
Our Committees 15
of accounts
Our Workshops 17
Appendix 10: Consultancies 97
Six Program Areas 18
Appendix 11: Credit Card Policy 97
● Cancer Prevention 18
● Cancer Screening 24
● Cancer Services 27
● Cancer Research 32
● Cancer Information and Registries 36
● Cancer Communication and Education 42
Corporate Development 46
Financial Statements 49
Cancer Institute NSW 3
Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
1st September 2005
Hon Mr Frank Sartor MP
Minister for Planning
Minister for Science and Medical Research
Minister Assisting the Minister for Health (Cancer)
Level 34, Governor Macquarie Tower, 1 Farrer Place
SYDNEY NSW 2000
Dear Minister
I have pleasure in submitting the Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report for 2004/2005. This reports contains
information on the design and implementation of our major cancer control initiatives in the six program areas and
is an indication of the progress being achieved in cancer control outlined in the NSW Cancer Plan 2004-2006.
The achievements documented in this Report represent the work of many - all of whom are dedicated to
improving cancer outcomes for the people of New South Wales and your support is at the forefront of these
achievements.
I acknowledge the dedication and the focused effort of my fellow Board members and the Cancer Institute staff.
Special thanks to our former Chairperson of the Board, Justice P A Bergin. Her establishment of Board procedures
and policy and her wise counsel in our first formative two years have established a solid framework for this
organisation.
I wish to acknowledge with sincerest thanks the many others who have made pivotal contributions this year. In
particular our hardworking committee members comprised of volunteers from the health professions, patients,
carers, government and the community. Those who attended workshops and those who contributed suggestions
and insights also receive our gratitude and thanks.
I also wish to acknowledge the assistance the Cancer Institute NSW receives on a daily basis from the Executive
and staff of Area Health Services, NSW Health, the Health Ministries, the Ministry of Science and Medical Research
and from both Ministers. Special thanks for the assistance from non-government organisations such as the NSW
Cancer Council, the National Breast Cancer Centre, Cancer Council Australia, the National Cancer Control Initiative
and many others.
Our program implementation in the last 12 months has been a major challenge, but one which has resulted in
good early results in high priority areas. I commend this report to you as an indication of our strong commitment
to cancer control in NSW.
Yours sincerely
Jill Boehm
Acting Chairperson
Board of the Cancer Institute NSW
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Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
The Cancer Institute NSW Act 2003
The Cancer Institute NSW Act 2003 was passed unanimously by the NSW Parliament on 20/06/2003 and
assented on the 30/06/2003.
The Cancer Institute NSW was established with the following objectives
● To increase cancer survival rates for cancer patients
● To reduce the incidence of cancer in the community
● To improve the quality of life of cancer patients and their carers
● To operate as a source of expertise on cancer control for the government, health service providers,
medical researches and the general community
Guiding Principles in the Cancer Institute NSW Act
The Cancer Institute should:
● Develop partnerships with the public sector, private sector and the general community.
● Provide resources applied to benefit the greatest number of people in an efficient and effective manner.
● Promote the treatment of patients that is equitable, evidence based and patient centred.
● Promote cancer care that is accessible, multi-disciplinary and coordinated by the appropriate networking
of services.
● Ensure public funds expended are fully accountable.
● Promote collaboration between state, national and international cancer bodies.
● Provide information about cancer control that is up to date and publicly available.
● Promote cancer research that builds collaboration, depth and maximise the benefits of research in
a number of institutions in NSW.
Cancer Institute NSW 5
Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
The Chief Cancer Officer's Report
As Australia's first state-wide government supported cancer control agency the Cancer Institute
NSW will save lives through the promotion of the best cancer treatment, research, information,
prevention and early detection. Our aim is to drive innovation in partnership with other leaders
in the field to deliver the best cancer results for the people of NSW.
This year the Cancer Institute NSW has grown from a small planning group to an organisation capable of rolling
out large programs in the six major program areas. It has completed intense work on its procedures, audit,
management and project definition processes. This successful transition is a tribute to our dedicated staff and the
many volunteers on our committees and working parties and those attending our workshops. Cancer control in
NSW is the direct beneficiary of this hard work in 2004/05.
Cancer in NSW is changing. This year the Cancer Institute NSW reported that while the numbers of people
diagnosed with cancer continues to increase, death rates from cancer are falling dramatically. In the last 10 years
death rates for prostate, bowel and breast cancer have fallen by over 20%. By 2011, two thirds of all cancer
patients in NSW will be cancer survivors. While there is much to be done, these results are as good as any
comparable developed country.
0
-5
-10 All Cancers Colon
-7 -7
-15
Percentage change
Ovarian
-20 Head and Neck
-14
-16 Lung
-25
Stomach -21
-30
Lip -27
-35 -30
-40
-45
Cervix - 46
-50
Male Female
Figure 1: Cancers with the decreasing incidence rates over the last decade
120
Liver Mesothelioma
100 48 Unknown
112
Thyroid Primary
97
Colon 43 65
80 70 70
60
Testes
40 Melanoma 34
15
All Cancers Lung 12
20
8 6
0
Male Female
Figure 2: Cancers with the increasing incidence rates over the last decade
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Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
70
60 15% increase in
rates in males
the last 10 years
incidence per 100,000
50
40
30
12% increase in
20 rates in females
the last 10 years
10
0
73 83 93 03
19 19 19 20
Year of Diagnosis Male Female
Figure 3:Trends in melanoma incidence 1973 - 2003
Australia
United States of America
Canada
United Kingdom
Less Developed Countries
More Developed Countries
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45
Melanoma of Skin-Male Melanoma of Skin-Female
Figure 4: Age standardised incidence rates melanoma (rates per 100,000 people)
The Cancer Institute NSW has recently reported that there are over 32,000 new cases diagnosed in NSW each
year. This is expected to rise to over 40,000 by 2011. The major cancers are prostate cancer, bowel cancer, breast
cancer, melanoma and lung cancer. While incidence rates are levelling off in men, cancer rates are still increasing in
women, by 8% in the last decade and in some cancers such as mesothelioma and liver cancer. (figure 1&2). The
incidence of melanoma continues to rise (figure 3). Melanoma incidence in Australia is the highest in the world
(figure 4).
While overall cancer mortality rates are falling by 17% in men and 12% in women, there are still over 12,500
deaths each year from cancer in NSW (figure 5). These results are unsatisfactory. Cancers with less than 20%
of patients alive five years after diagnosis include lung, pancreas, brain and liver cancer and mesothelioma. This
provides an urgent incentive to re-double our efforts to improve survival further.
The increasing numbers of cancer patients require us to increase our focus on cancer prevention. Tobacco causes
many cancers such as lung, oesophageal, head and neck, stomach and urinary cancers. Tobacco accounts for over
20% of all cancer deaths. Cancers most closely related to smoking also have our lowest cancer survival rates.
Cancer Institute NSW 7
Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
0
-10
Percentage change
Leukamia
Ovarian -12
All Pancreas -15
-20 Cancers NHL -18
-17 Head Large Prostate -19 Breast
-11 & Neck Stomach Bowel Lung -22 Bladder -22 Kidney
-23 -22 -24 -25 -24
-30 -27 -20
-40
-50
Cervix
-52
-60
Male Female
Figure 5: Cancers with the decreasing death rate over the last decade
Australia
United States of America
Canada
United Kingdom
Less Developed Countries
More Developed Countries
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
Large Bowel-Male Large Bowel-Female
Figure 6: Age standardised incidence rates large bowel (rates per 100,000 people)
Since tobacco remains our community's largest preventable cause of disease, in 2004/05 the Cancer Institute NSW
has focussed its prevention efforts on tobacco. We have developed a number of high impact advertisements such
as the "Excuses" campaign along with Quitline advertisements and notification of smoking restrictions in NSW
licensed premises. In 2005/06 we plan to further accelerate the trend for low smoking rates in our community
and develop new programs through the Quitline.
The increasing survival of cancer patients can be attributed to early detection, more skilled health professionals and
better treatments. The screening programs are partly responsible for success in declining cancer death rates. Much
of the improvement in survival is also due to the direct application of radiotherapy with new chemotherapy and
surgery and new cancer research. Large bowel cancer has a high incidence in NSW compared to other countries
and requires additional programs such as bowel cancer screening (figure 6).
The Cancer Institute NSW has provided new frontline positions for over 200 additional cancer doctors, cancer
nurses, social workers and psychotherapists. These positions will continue to provide better coordination of the
patient's care and guide them through the complexity of the best modern cancer services. We have also funded
the structure of cancer services in each area health service so it can design and deliver the best outcomes for
cancer patients. Access to radiotherapy has been improved with additional staff, additional training positions and
a major equipment upgrade throughout the state with over $6m in additional funds in 2004/05.
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Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
Cancer research in NSW has traditionally been fragmented with many small pockets of research excellence.
The Cancer Institute's Research Program has encouraged a higher level of scientific collaboration to form larger
teams to solve bigger problems. Our programs include a "bench to bedside" translation of the best research
directly to patient care. We have awarded three large programs in prostate cancer, melanoma and cancer drug
resistance and provide an additional 80 awards to scientists throughout NSW.
The Cancer Institute NSW Cancer Information and Registries Program is making cancer information more
accessible to health professionals and the public. This year for the first time the NSW Cancer Incidence and
Mortality Report looked back 30 years and forward to 2011. We can now fully appreciate the dramatic
improvement in cancer death rates and the increasing numbers of cancer patients who are long-term survivors.
For the future, our reviews and advice have identified clear priorities and areas of need for 2005/06. These suggest
we should continue to invest heavily in health professionals working with cancer patients by providing additional
positions and substantially 'up skill' hard working frontline doctors, nurses and support staff. Cancer research and
innovation will be strengthened and further developed in hospitals to bring forward better treatment for patients.
Access to specialised services must be further streamlined. In addition, cancer must be prevented or detected
earlier with increasingly successful behaviour change and improved screening methods.
James F Bishop
MD MMed MBBS FRACP FRCPA
Chief Cancer Officer
CEO, Cancer Institute NSW
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Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
Our Board
The inaugural meeting of the Cancer Institute NSW Board was held on 18th August 2003.
Board membership for 2004/05
Front Row left to right:
Prof Jim Bishop (Chief Cancer Officer)
Ms Jill Boehm (Acting Chairperson from June 2005 - September 2005)
Back Row left to right:
Prof Robert Sutherland, A/Prof Vivien Lane, Prof Sally Redman, Prof John Simes, Prof John Zalcberg,
Dr Geoffrey Pritchard, Dr Patrick Cregan (absent).
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Our Staff
The staff of the Cancer Institute NSW
With a range of skills and expertise across six programme areas, the Cancer Institute NSW staff, under the
guidance of the Executive and Board are responsible for enabling the delivery of Australia's first State-wide
Cancer Plan.
Cancer Institute NSW 11
Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
Our Executive Team
From left to right:
Dr David Manning, Ms Carmel Edwards, Ms Trish Cotter, Mr Michael Schmitz, Ms Denise Thomas. Professor Jim Bishop,
Mr David Sabanayagam, Ms Beth Macauley, Ms Katherine Machutchison, Dr Paul Jelfs.
Prof JAMES F BISHOP MD MMed MBBS FRACP FRCPA
Chief Cancer Officer & CEO, Cancer Institute NSW
Professor of Cancer Medicine, University of Sydney
Professor Bishop became a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (FRACP) and a Fellow of the
Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia (FRCPA) in haematology in 1979. He was awarded a Fulbright
Scholarship to study medical oncology at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), USA from 1979 to 1981. At the
Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute, Melbourne, he was a consultant medical oncologist from 1981 to 1995, Head of
Clinical Research from 1988 and Director of the Division of Haematology and Medical Oncology from 1990. From
1995 to 2003 Professor Bishop was the Director of the Sydney Cancer Centre at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
and Concord Hospital in Sydney, and directed the Cancer Service for the Central Sydney Area Health Service. He
is the Professor of Cancer Medicine at the University of Sydney.
Professor Bishop's particular research interests are in clinical trials, new anti-cancer drug development and new
cancer therapies. He has coordinated national clinical trials in leukaemia, breast cancer and lung cancer. He has
authored more than 180 scientific papers on cancer, 150 abstracts and a textbook on cancer. He was awarded a
Doctorate of Medicine by research thesis (Platelet Transfusion Therapy) in 1990 and a Master of Medicine by
research thesis (Induction Therapy for Acute Myeloid Leukaemia) in 1999. He was appointed Chief Cancer Officer
and CEO of the Cancer Institute in August 2003.
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Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
Ms BETH MACAULEY BA GCHSM RN
Chief Operating Officer
Ms Beth Macauley was appointed as the Chief Operating Officer, Cancer Institute NSW in September 2003.
Ms Macauley has extensive professional experience in strategic health services management, medical relations
management and administration in the private hospital sector.
In late 2000, Ms Macauley was appointed by Mayne Health as Director of Hospitals in Nepean, North Western
Sydney and, the National Capital Private Hospital in the ACT. During this period, she also worked for Mayne as
Medical Relations Manager for NSW, coordinating and facilitating Mayne Hospital business development initiatives
throughout the State. Other experiences include the commissioning of co-located tertiary level health services,
decommissioning of several private hospitals and the divestment of non-performing assets.
Ms TRISH COTTER BSc MPH
Acting Director, Cancer Prevention
Trish has 20 years experience in tobacco control, specialising in communications and social marketing campaigns. Ms
Cotter started her career at Quit Victoria, responsible for annual quit campaigns centred on TV advertising but
incorporating PR and support for smokers. Ms Cotter was then seconded to South Australia to help set up their
state-wide media campaign and in 1997-98, spent a year at the Massachusetts Tobacco Control Program's
advertising agency to develop their media campaigns.Trish was a key organiser of Australia's National Tobacco
Campaign, and in 1999 became the Deputy Marketing Director at The Age newspaper. As Communications and
Marketing Director for the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth),Trish developed Australia's first
campaign for mental health promotion in 2000/01.
Ms CARMEL EDWARDS BSc Mqual Path
Director, Cancer Research Programs
Ms Carmel Edwards commenced at the Cancer Institute NSW in March 2004. Ms Edwards holds a science degree
majoring in genetics and physiology and Masters qualifying in pathology. Ms Edwards immediate postgraduate years
were spent as a researcher in the disciplines of genetics and immunology followed by a short period of time in the
pharmaceutical industry. Ms Edwards research administration and management experience has been gained over
the past 15 years, with senior positions held at St Vincent's Health Care Campus, MBF Australia and NSW
Department of Health.
Dr PAUL JELFS BSc (Hons) PhD
Director, Cancer Information and Registries
Dr Paul Jelfs manages the Central Cancer Registry, the Clinical Cancer Registry, cancer epidemiology, the Pap Test
Register and has an advisory role in the breast, cervix and bowel screening programs. Dr Jelfs was formerly
Director of the Epidemiology Branch in the South Australian Department of Health and headed the Population
Health and Health Registers and Cancer Monitoring Units at the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Dr Jelfs
has been responsible for the development of a large number of public health information systems such as the
National Death Index, the National Cancer Statistics Clearing House and the National Diabetes Register. He has an
interest in cancer epidemiology, public health information development, spatial epidemiology, health inequalities and
veterans' health. Dr Jelfs is currently the Chair of the Clinical Oncological Society of Australia Epidemiology Group,
Chair of the Australasian Association of Cancer Registries and the Oceania representative to the International
Association of Cancer Registries.
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Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
Ms KATHERINE MACHUTCHISON
BA Grad Dip Business (Human Resource Management and Industrial Relations)
Human Resource Manager
Ms Katherine MacHutchison was appointed as the Human Resource Manager in February 2004. Ms MacHutchison
has 17 years experience in human resource management, organisational development, change management and
industrial relations. This experience has been in the private sector, business consulting and the public sector.
Immediately prior to joining the Cancer Institute, Ms MacHutchison was a Human Resource Manager/
Organisational Development Manager for Mayne Hospitals and previously a Human Resource Manager at
Australian Hospital Care Limited.
Dr DAVID MANNING BSc PhD PGCE
Director, Communications
David Manning has a PhD in cancer genetics from the University of Wales College of Medicine and has worked
on genes involved in breast cancer metastasis. He has studied Science Journalism and Health Communications at
Birkbeck College, University of London and has written and produced health programmes for the broadcast media.
He has managed communications for several cancer organisations in Australia and the UK and has been a
communications consultant for the NHS Cancer Networks Patient Partnership Programme and Macmillan Cancer
Relief's Patient Information and Support Programme.
MR DAVID SABANAYAGAM MBA PNA
Finance Administration Manager
David Sabanayagam was appointed as Finance & Administration Manager in September 2004. David has 17-years
experience in finance roles in Communications, Information Technology, Publishing and Advertising industries in the
private sector. David has a Masters in Business Administration from Macquarie University and is a member of
National Institute of Accountants. Just prior to joining the Cancer Institute, David was the Finance Manager for the
Buspak Advertising Group of companies, and previously was the Financial Controller for Thomson Education Direct.
MR MICHAEL SCHMITZ MPD
Information Technology Manager
Michael commenced as Information Technology Manager in July 2004 and has been involved in the Information
Technology and Communications industry for a period of over 25 years. Michael has an Advanced Diploma in
Project Management, is a Master Project Director and is a member of the Australian Institute of Project
Management.
Prior to his career change in moving into the public sector, Michael held senior positions with several major
information technology organisations and niche consultancies primarily focusing on project management and
methodologies. He has a vast range of experience and has been involved with and successfully managed a broad
range of projects including information technology infrastructure and systems implementations, data centre and
relocation projects, primarily in the, legal, banking and finance, pharmaceutical and essential service arena.
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Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
Ms DENISE THOMAS BHM (UNE), RN
Director, Cancer Services & Education
Ms Denise Thomas was appointed to the Cancer Institute NSW in March 2005. Ms Thomas has worked in the
health care sector for over 24 years in both public and private sectors. Ms Thomas started her health career as a
Registered Nurse at St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney and since this time has held numerous management and
Executive roles. In the private sector Ms Thomas has managed large-scale national and international projects and has
worked in hospital, pathology and radiology businesses. For the past four years prior to coming to the Cancer
Institute NSW Ms Thomas held the role of Director, Nepean Private Hospital.
Our Committees
The Cancer Institute NSW operated 17 committees, working parties and steering groups in 2004/2005
(See Appendix 3 for committee membership). These were:
Committee Chairperson
Cancer Education and Workforce Working Party Prof Bernard Stewart
Cancer Information and Registries Working Party Dr Martin Berry
Cancer Institute NSW Ethics Committee Prof Stephen Leeder
Cancer Research Advisory Committee Prof Peter Gunning
Cancer Trials Steering Group A/Prof Ann Hamilton
Central Registries Advisory Committee Prof Bruce Armstrong
Clinical Services Advisory Committee A/Prof Paul Harnett
Complementary Therapy Prof Stephen Clarke
Grants Review Committee Prof John Funder
Pap Test Register Advisory Committee Prof Richard Taylor
Patient Support Working Party Prof Rob Sanson-Fisher
Population Health and Screening Working Party Prof Bruce Armstrong
Quality and Clinical Effectiveness Advisory Committee Dr Patrick Cregan
Radiotherapy Joint Working Party Dr Colin Bull
Registries Studies Advisory Committee Dr Paul Jelfs
Rural Cancer Services Working Party Ms Jill Boehm/Mr Geoff Pritchard
Standard Cancer Treatment Protocols Steering Group Prof Robyn Ward
Tobacco Campaign Reference Group Ms Trish Cotter
These committees provided expert advice over 2004/05, and were pivotal in the development and implementation
of the NSW Cancer Plan. They were developed for their expertise and were not designed to be representative of
stakeholder institutions.
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Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
In total 203 persons sat on committees in 2004/05 including those with the following university affiliations.
Unaffiliated professionals 69
University of Sydney 49
University of NSW 47
Community 34
University of Newcastle 8
University of Melbourne 2
Flinders University 4
University of Queensland 4
University of Western Sydney 2
University of New England 1
University of Canberra 2
Committee members are from 32 hospitals in NSW and interstate.
The Area Health Service (AHS) Hospitals are represented:
Not affiliated with a hospital or AHS 68
South East Sydney / Illawarra AHS 34
Community based 34
Sydney Southwest AHS 25
Sydney West AHS 24
Northern Sydney Central Coast AHS 11
Hunter New England AHS 7
Greater Southern AHS 7
Greater Western AHS 5
Northern Coast AHS 3
Nine of the committees that had been in place in 2004 are being reconstructed. This process will provide
opportunity for new members to provide their input. Committees have called for a public expression of interest to
serve the Cancer Institute NSW in 2005. Area Health Services have also been asked to provide nominees.
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Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
Workshops
During 2004/05 the following workshops took place.
● Cancer Information Strategy Priorities October 29, 2004
● Tobacco Control Communication November 1, 2004
● Cancer Pathways in General Practice November 5, 2004
● Quality in Cancer Care Workshop November 5, 2004
● Community Support for Cancer Patients Forum December 8, 2004
● Cancer Education and Training Workshop December 17, 2004
● Collaboratives & Organisation Process Review in Radiotherapy March 4, 2005
● Clinical Trials Workshop June 29, 2005
● Cancer Community Forums May-June 2005
Community forums or "Town Hall Meetings" were held in rural or outer metropolitan areas in 2004/05. These
were designed to obtain broad community feedback on issues and problems facing people affected by cancer.
● Dubbo May 5, 2005
● Broken Hill May 12, 2005
● Western Sydney June 1, 2005
● Newcastle June 3, 2005
● Albury June 8, 2005
● Wagga Wagga June 9, 2005
● Coffs Harbour June 15, 2005
● Old Bar June 16, 2005
Background
Following wide consultation, the NSW Cancer Plan 2004-2006 was launched in June 2004. It was the first such
state-wide strategic plan for cancer in Australia. The NSW Cancer Plan is a high level strategic plan for all involved
in cancer control in NSW.
The Cancer Institute NSW budget for 2004/5 was $39m. This figure incorporates a core budget of $35m, with
additional NSW Health funding for the registries and roll-over from 2003/04.
Six major program areas have been established by the Cancer Institute NSW in 2004/05:
1 Cancer Prevention
2 Cancer Screening
3 Cancer Services
4 Cancer Research
5 Cancer Information and Registries
6 Cancer Communication and Education
Within each of these major programs, the highest priority areas have been chosen initially for development by the
Cancer Institute NSW based on strategies agreed in the NSW Cancer Plan in June 2004.
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Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
1. Cancer Prevention
Tobacco smoking remains the largest preventable cause of disease in NSW and also accounts
for over 20% of all cancer deaths.
Each year, 6,600 deaths in NSW are caused by tobacco, including deaths from cancer, cardiac
disease and stroke. Half of all smokers will die of such diseases living an average 10 years less
than non-smokers and costing NSW $6.7 billion annually.
The Cancer Institute NSW is responsible for the social marketing of tobacco control messages in the community.
This priority has been agreed with NSW Health as a major gap limiting optimal tobacco control in NSW. In
2004/05, $3.23m was expended by the Cancer Institute NSW on tobacco control.
Seven major achievements of the Cancer Institute NSW Tobacco Control Program in 2004/05 include:
● Tobacco control workshop: a national group convened by the Cancer Institute NSW to define evidence-based
messages for campaigns.
● New Year's Eve Resolution Campaign.
● "Excuses" (or "Echo") campaigns 1 and 2 based on a successful US campaign.
● Pubs and clubs "Change is in the Air" campaign.
● Smoker survey to provide the baseline research for 2005/06 campaigns.
● NSW Tobacco Action Plan developed with NSW Health and others.
● A national collaboration of tobacco control agencies to develop and deliver a national campaign on pack
warnings.
“I can’t go more than a few hours “I can’t go more than a few feet
without a cigarette” without the oxygen tank”
The 'Excuses' campaign used the theme 'Quitting is hard, not quitting is harder'. Preliminary evaluations show that
after 10 weeks, 71% of smokers in NSW had seen the "Excuses" campaign and over 90% found it believable.
The Cancer Institute NSW Prevention Program is developing social marketing campaigns during 2005/06 for
tobacco control, bowel cancer awareness, melanoma awareness and breast cancer screening advice.
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Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
Prevention Highlights
Cancer prevention is a key priority for the Cancer Institute NSW with the Tobacco Program the major activity
during 2004-5.
The NSW Cancer Plan 2004-2006 details a series of tobacco control strategies including:
● To run tobacco control mass media campaigns to educate the community about the consequences of
smoking and passive smoking.
● To promote tobacco control legislation on banning smoking in all enclosed public areas and banning of the
display of tobacco products in retail outlets and mobile tobacco sellers.
● To assist the NSW Department of Health in implementing the National Tobacco Control Strategy and
NSW Tobacco Action Plan.
“I’m only a social smoker” “I haven’t been out of this room
in weeks”
Tobacco Control Workshop
The Cancer Institute NSW and NSW Health jointly hosted a one-day expert workshop in November 2004 on
tobacco communication.
The purpose of the workshop was to explore the role of media campaigns within tobacco control, consider criteria
for prioritising tobacco control social marketing efforts in NSW, devise draft recommendations on short term and
medium term priorities for tobacco control campaigns in NSW and consider opportunities for value adding by
working in collaboration.
The workshop also provided an opportunity to bring together representatives of the key agencies involved in
tobacco control in NSW and across Australia, thereby encouraging their involvement at an early stage in the
development of new media campaigns for NSW.
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Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
New Year Campaign
New Year is the one time in the year when just about every smoker at least thinks about giving up smoking.
Data published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health supported the view that New Year
is a time when a small, but significant, group of smokers make serious resolutions to give up.
To give smokers the impetus to quit, the Tobacco Program aired Quitline advertisements from Victoria and
supportive radio commercials to encourage smokers to call the Quitline and seek support in quitting smoking.
The campaign was launched on 29 December 2004 and ran for one month.
The key objectives of the campaign were to:
● Provide information and support for smokers to make a quit attempt at New Year
● Increase the number of successful quit attempts
● The New Year campaign results were notable. Calls to the NSW Quitline more than doubled during the
campaign month compared with the average Quitline month.
“I have trouble getting out of bed “I have trouble getting out of bed”
without a smoke”
Annual Smoking and Health Survey
The Tobacco Program implemented its inaugural annual Smoking and Health Survey in March 2005.The purpose of
the research was to gain a better understanding of patterns of tobacco use, quit attempts and barriers to quitting
among NSW smokers. Furthermore the survey offered an opportunity to understand smokers and non-smokers
knowledge about the health consequences of smoking and attitude toward current smoking issues.
Key findings include:
● 53% of respondents believed smoking was the leading cause of premature death.
● 59% of smokers were considering quitting.
● 80% of smokers had visited a GP in the last 12 months and of those, half were advised by the doctor to
stop smoking.
● 74% of smokers acknowledged the likelihood of becoming seriously ill if they continued to smoke.
● 78% of people agreed that tobacco companies should be made to pay for advertising to correct prior
misleading statements.
The Cancer Institute NSW will conduct the Smoking and Health Survey on an annual basis to measure and track
changes in understanding, knowledge and attitudes relating to smoking.
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Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
Excuses Campaign 1 & 2
“I can’t go more than a few hours “I can’t go more than a few feet “I’m only a social smoker” “I haven’t been out of this room in
without a cigarette” without the oxygen tank” weeks”
“I have trouble getting out of bed “I have trouble getting out of bed” “No, I don’t think I can quit” “I don’t think I can operate”
without a smoke”
The Tobacco Program implemented the first new NSW developed anti-smoking campaign in over 15 years in April
2005.
The 'Excuses' Campaign was based on research findings that indicated that one of the main barriers to long-term
smokers taking action to quit were self-exempting beliefs using rationalisations that justified continued smoking
behaviour.The creative concept was adapted from a successful campaign run in California.
The target audience for the campaign included the State's approximately 1.2 million smokers, with a focus on ages
18-39.The types of excuses debunked included addiction, social smoking, and weight gain.
This campaign aimed to:
● Increase smokers' knowledge of the health effects of smoking.
● Challenge some of the common self-exempting beliefs and behaviours associated with smoking.
● Give smokers the impetus to quit now rather than later.
● Provide an avenue to quit through the Quitline counselling service.
The campaign acknowledged that while quitting smoking isn't easy, the consequences are far worse.The tagline for
the campaign was "Quitting is hard, not quitting is harder".
The Hon Frank Sartor MP, Minister Assisting the Minister for Health, launched the 'Excuses' campaign on 10 April
2005. Former heavy smoker and television presenter Steve Liebmann also spoke at the launch, recounting his
personal experience with smoking and his reasons for quitting in 2004.
The first wave and set of excuses of the campaign, which ran for six weeks, showed that two out of three smokers
had seen the ads. Furthermore, 92% of smokers found the commercials believable, 86% found them attention
grabbing and 76% said it was relevant to them.
Cancer Institute NSW 21
Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
As a result of its preliminary success the Tobacco Program extended the duration of the campaign for an additional
six weeks by implementing the second wave and set of excuses. The campaign tracking evaluation continued to be
positive with 74% of smokers saying the campaign made smoking more unappealing and that they were more likely
to take action as a result.
Pubs & Clubs Campaign
The Cancer Institute NSW and the NSW Department of Health collaborated to launch a new campaign on 31
May 2005, World No Tobacco Day, called 'Change is in the Air'.
The campaign announced and promoted the tobacco control legislation on banning smoking in enclosed public
areas. From 4 July 2005 smoking was restricted to one part of NSW pubs, clubs and the casino.The restriction was
the first step in a series of changes over the next three years, which will see these venues go smoke free indoors by
2007.
“Back in Ireland, when pubs went “So now smoking will be restricted to If the Irish got used to no smoking in Aussies will get used to no smoking in
smoke-free overnight it all seemed one part of NSW pubs and clubs... the pubs at all... in no time at all...” part of the pub, in part of no time
normal in no time at all.” I’m thinking...” at all...”
Smoking is still the number one cause of preventable disease in our community. Passive smoking is known to cause
heart disease, lung cancer, irritation of the eyes and nose among adults - among children, sudden infant death
syndrome, lower birth weight babies and respiratory infections.
The March 2005 Smoking and Health Survey found that in relation to passive smoking:
● 92% of people believed that all indoor workplaces should be completely smoke free.
● 88% of non-smokers and 42% of smokers felt bothered by other people's smoke in public places.
● 75% of people agreed that going smoke free will make pubs and clubs safer to be in.
The campaign aimed to increase awareness among the community of the new changes to smoking inside licensed
venues.
The 'Change is in the Air' Campaign ran across a range of mediums over six weeks including, television, radio, press
and convenience advertising.
22 Cancer Institute NSW
Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
Tobacco Action Plan
The Cancer Institute NSW has joined forces with NSW Health, the Cancer Council of NSW and Action on
Smoking and Health (ASH) for the development of the NSW Tobacco Action Plan 2005-2009.
The plan builds on the achievements of previous tobacco control efforts, identifies the challenges ahead and
provides the strategic direction for the development and implementation of a range of tobacco control initiatives
for NSW.
Through the development and implementation of this collaborative plan, the NSW Government formalises its
commitment to the prevention and reduction of tobacco-related harm in NSW
Case Study
In April this year people in NSW turned on their televisions to be confronted by a series of advertisements by the
Cancer Institute putting paid to some of the most common excuses smokers use to put off quitting.
One of those ads, showing a surgeon turning from a bank of chest x-rays saying "I can't operate" echoed the
campaign's tag line "Quitting Is Hard, Not Quitting Is Harder".
The $1.8 million Excuses Campaign, Echo - as it was known, proved particularly successful at catching the attention
of the nearly 18% of people in NSW who still smoke on a daily basis.
After its three month run the series of 'excuse' ads had been seen by 71% of smokers, with 74% saying that it had
not only made smoking more unappealing, but made them more inclined to quit.
Echo was just one of five mass-media prevention campaigns the Cancer Institute NSW has run over the last 12
months targeting tobacco smoking, the single largest preventable cause of illness and death in Australia.
The Cancer Institute NSW has set itself a goal of reducing the number of NSW smokers by 1% a year, a target that
could potentially save thousands of lives.
But getting such high quality, social marketing advertisements to work not only takes a great deal of planning and
research, but relies on the skills of a very broad range of people from health, marketing and advertising
backgrounds.
NSW based research had already shown the importance smokers put on a whole slew of excuses-from "I'm just a
social smoker" to "I'll put on weight if I give up"-that stopped them taking the crucial steps to giving up cigarettes.
Echo, which started life as a very successful Californian campaign, seemed the perfect marketing tool to tackle this
issue, but it was still rigorously market researched in metropolitan and rural NSW to make sure.
The Campaign Palace, a global award winning advertising agency, managed the creative strategy behind the six
excuse scenarios, re-shooting the original Californian ads to ensure they would appeal to a local audience.
The Cancer Institute NSW will continue to roll out hard hitting social marketing campaigns, with plans to broaden
its reach to skin and bowel cancer prevention.
Cancer Institute NSW 23
Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
2. Cancer Screening
Successful cancer screening allows smaller cancers to be detected earlier thus dramatically
increasing the chances of cure and longer survival from cancer.
The Cancer Institute NSW will take responsibility for cancer screening in NSW from 1 July 2005. The Institute's
immediate aims are to:
● Ensure access to free breast screening for women over 40 years as required in national screening policies.
● Actively increase participation rates for women 50-69 years for breast screening.
● Work towards universal bowel cancer screening in NSW.
● Implement new nationally endorsed cervix screening guidelines and increase screening in under-screened
groups.
● Improve the business practices and uptake of technology by screening programs.
The Cancer Institute NSW has established a peak screening committee and associated working parties to provide
strategic direction, review business performance, finance, IT and HR issues.
The Cancer Institute NSW has promoted bowel cancer awareness and is preparing the state for screening.
Reviews of screening methodology and technology in lung and prostate cancer and melanoma are planned for
2005/06.
From July 1st 2005, the Cancer Institute NSW takes responsibility for screening programs in NSW.
24 Cancer Institute NSW
Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
Case Study
There were 4,103 women diagnosed with breast cancer in NSW in 2003 and for a large number of them the
journey from early detection to treatment started at BreastScreen NSW.
In fact the NSW program, which is now managed by the Cancer Institute NSW, is the largest, free x-ray service
for breast cancer in the country.
In the last 12 months the 210 screening sites found right across NSW, with 40 permanent ones located at hospitals
or community health centres and the rest based on regular visits by mobile vans, saw nearly 240,000 women.
While BreastScreen NSW is open to all women 40 years and older, screening is recommended for someone
between the ages of 50 and 69 years.This is the age where risk starts to increase dramatically and when
mammograms of the breast are most effective.
For the average woman in NSW the first contact with BreastScreen NSW usually starts when she turns 50 years
old and she receives a letter encouraging her to make an appointment by calling a toll free number.
Typically the first appointment starts with a request for confidential information.
This personal history not only helps to identify those women who may be more at risk of developing breast
cancer, but also enables BreastScreen NSW to stay in touch with their clients over the following years.
All mammograms are taken by a radiographer who takes four images of both breasts which are then checked
by two, independent radiologists.
For most women getting a clear result is the end of the process until they are contacted by Breast Screen NSW
two years later for another routine check-up.
Five percent of all women x-rayed however, are called back for further assessment so that any observed
abnormalities can be checked in detail. In general only about one in ten of these women will then have a breast
cancer confirmed.
Breast cancer screening began in NSW in 1992 and its effectiveness at picking up disease early has undoubtedly
saved thousands of lives, with a five year survival rate in NSW of 85% for cases diagnosed between 1994 and 2000.
Cancer Institute NSW 25
Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
3. Cancer Services
In 2004/05, funding was allocated directly to Area Health Services for clinical enhancement including new doctors,
nurses, social workers and equipment. Additional funding was available to research groups within the hospital
through the research program below.
The five major achievements of the Cancer Institute NSW Cancer Services Program 2004/05
● Workforce: Over 200 new frontline cancer health professional positions have been created.These positions
are for nurses, cancer specialists, psychologists, social workers and provision of administrative support.
● Radiotherapy and other equipment: Over $6m has been provided in 2004/05 for radiotherapy including
new academic posts, support for new radiotherapy graduates, radiotherapy equipment and software
licences and $1.87m in other medical equipment.
● GP liaison: A contract has been negotiated with the Alliance and Divisions of General Practice to
implement key aspects of the Cancer Institute NSW GP program.
● Standard Cancer Treatment (SCaT) Protocols for NSW: This website has been constructed with over
100 cancer treatment programs now fully documented. It will be launched in 2005. It standardizes cancer
treatment based on evidence to increase safety, reduce inappropriate therapy and deliver the best care
more uniformly.
● Task forces in each major type of cancer are being established under the banner of the NSW Oncology
Group (NSWOG).
Roll out of clinical programs continues with some Area Health Services recruiting new staff positions more strongly
than others.
Programs planned for 2005/06 include Professional Development Packages aimed at up-skilling cancer health
professionals, roll out of the GP programs, increased access to PET scanning services at Newcastle Mater Hospital
and support for the North Coast AHS radiotherapy program.
26 Cancer Institute NSW
Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
3. Cancer Services
Improved Cancer Workforce in NSW
Area Cancer Structures
In 2004/05 the Cancer Institute NSW has provided over $19 million in clinical enhancement funding to assist Area
Health Services across NSW to improve Cancer Services Structures and facilitate multidisciplinary cancer care.
This funding equates to over 200 positions for cancer health professionals and includes funding for Directors of
Cancer Services, Cancer Development managers, specialist doctors, cancer nurse coordinators and social workers.
Each Area Health Service is currently in the process of appointing these roles.
The Director of Cancer Services in each AHS will be supported by a Cancer Development Manager who will assist
in the planning and development of cancer services across the Area as well as supporting the rollout of Cancer
Institute NSW programs.
The Lead Clinician or cancer specialist roles will provide clinical leadership in care of specific tumour types and will
take responsibility for establishing the multidisciplinary approach to care.
Cancer Nurse Coordinators Program and Rural Cancer Nurse Coordinator Program
The Cancer Institute NSW has committed the recruitment of 50 dedicated cancer care nurse coordinators to
assist cancer patients in their complex journey through cancer services. The model of care coordination has been
developed by the Cancer Institute NSW in consultation with key stakeholders. This senior nursing position is
expected to have a positive impact on the experience of patients throughout their care pathway.
Psycho-oncology Team Development
A statewide review of psycho-oncology services has been completed. The review outcomes provide
recommendations and important baseline information in understanding how psycho-oncology teams can best be
developed within cancer services. The recruitment of 14 psycho-oncology staff, which will increase to a total of
22 positions during 2005, is the first step in establishing psycho-oncology teams and enhancing the provision of
psychological and practical support for cancer patients.
Radiotherapy PDY positions
The Cancer Institute NSW has supported 24 additional Radiation Therapist Professional Development Year (PDY)
positions to NSW Area Health Services, in additional to those already employed from local resources, in the
2004/05 financial year.
Radiation Oncology Academic Chairs
To support workforce needs and increase the academic profile of radiation oncology in NSW, the Cancer Institute
NSW in consultation with NSW universities has created 3 academic chairs in radiation sciences. These Chairs are
in radiation oncology, radiation therapy and radiation medical physics.
Cancer Institute NSW 27
Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
Other
The Cancer Institute NSW has already committed an additional $2.0m for the provision of more than 24 new key
cancer services personnel to Area Cancer Services in 2005/06. These positions located across the state will include
cancer nurses, psychosocial support staff, cancer services project officers and cancer genetics staff.
Improved multidisciplinary care
The Cancer Institute NSW is working in collaboration with the National Breast Cancer Centre to provide
workshops in multidisciplinary care across the state. The workshops focus on the benefits of multidisciplinary
care in improving patient experience and clinical outcomes and provide practical guides in communication and
establishing multidisciplinary processes.
Further to this the Institute has funded Area Health Services a total of $470k to assist in the purchase of
equipment required to facilitate multidisciplinary team meetings.
Linking key team members located in different areas through Telehealth technology is an important part of
providing multidisciplinary care across large geographical areas. The Cancer Institute NSW has provided
$300k to facilitate this support through NSW Health Telehealth program.
Radiotherapy equipment enhancement
One of the primary strategies of the NSW Cancer Plan is to increase the access of cancer patients of
appropriate radiotherapy services. The Cancer Institute NSW has provided $5m in grants to public radiation
oncology treatment centres for the purchase of high priority radiotherapy equipment. This funding will be
used to replace existing and aging equipment, to increase the treatment options for patients, to assist
implementation of state of the art treatment techniques and to improve monitoring and quality assurance.
Medical equipment enhancements
The Cancer Institute NSW has provided over $1.87m of funds for the provision of high priority medical
equipment and access to treatment to Area Cancer Services including surgical, diagnostic and treatment,
equipment, support for the development of multidisciplinary team meetings and expansion of IT and
Telehealth linkage.
Improved cancer networks to ensure collaborative and informed approach to cancer control
The Cancer Institute NSW continues to work with NSW Health and key cancer stakeholders to ensure a
collaborative approach to addressing cancer control issues.
28 Cancer Institute NSW
Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
Cancer Coordination Forum
The Cancer Coordination Forum NSW was formed to provide a mechanism for interaction between the Cancer
Institute NSW and NSW Health in areas where program responsibilities and outcomes overlap. The forums have
provided an opportunity to exchange information, develop joint initiatives and the disseminate reports related to
cancer services including: implementation of The NSW Cancer Plan 2005-2006, monitoring of progress of the
NSW Clinical Services Framework for Cancer, coordination of the tobacco control agenda and a shared approach
to the gathering of epidemiological and services information on cancer.
NSW Oncology Group (NSWOG)
Work has commenced on the formation of the NSW Oncology Group (NSWOG) state-wide tumour streams
with some groups meeting in 2005. These cancer groups, supported by the Cancer Institute NSW, include the
leading clinicians and other health professionals involved in the provision of cancer treatment for major tumour
types. They will be asked to address the issues of training and subspecialisation, data collection, clinical trials
participation and standard clinical protocol development.
Radiotherapy Joint Working Party
The Radiotherapy Joint Working Party has been established by the Cancer Institute NSW and the NSW
Department of Health to provide advice on the provision of radiation oncology services in NSW.
The Radiotherapy Joint Working Party meets quarterly to assist the work of the Cancer Institute and NSW Health
in achieving better treatment and outcomes for cancer patients and better and more coordinated cancer care with
a particular focus on radiation oncology.
Workshops
The following workshops were conducted over the past year.
Collaboratives & Organisation Process Review in Radiotherapy - A Joint NSW Health and Cancer Institute NSW
workshop was held in March 2005 to begin the process of collaboration between radiotherapy centres and to
assist radiotherapy departments to undertake quality improvement programs.
Quality and Cancer Services Accreditation Workshop - was conducted in November 2004 and resulted in the
development of a report documenting a possible accreditation system for Cancer Services and issues around the
development of this process.
Quality and Clinical Effectiveness Committee - The Quality and Clinical Effectiveness Advisory Committee evaluated
the development of an appropriate accreditation system for Cancer Services in NSW. This involved an evaluation
of existing cancer accreditation standards and systems. A workshop was held involving key stakeholders from
within cancer services, accreditation organisations and people with cancer to further develop a proposed cancer
accreditation system that will be used as a basis for the future development of an accreditation framework.
GP Projects
The Cancer Institute NSW is working with the Alliance of NSW Divisions to deliver key General Practice projects
with NSW Divisions of General Practice in the area of early detection, prevention, screening and treatment.
Cancer Institute NSW 29
Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
Complementary Therapies
The Cancer plan 2004-2005 outlines strategies to increase access to appropriate complementary therapies for
cancer patients. It is recognised that many people with cancer use complementary therapies to improve their
quality of life while undergoing treatment for cancer.
The program has been established to investigate the use of complementary therapies by people with cancer and
to provide information on the benefits and risks for people with cancer, their health professionals, carers and family
members and to identify those that have been shown to be beneficial or to improve quality of life of people with
cancer. A complementary therapy web page has been developed including a list of frequently asked questions.
Literature review and a review of complementary therapies access has been initiated to determine those
complementary therapies currently offered to people with cancer through the NSW Area Health Services.
Cancer Treatments Program
Program No Description Outcomes
9.1,9.2,10.1,11.2, Clinical Enhancement Funding Round 1 85% of funded positions
- Clinical position funding for Directors of Cancer recruited or in process of
Services, Nurse Coordinator Lead Clinicians, recruitment.
Cancer Development Managers, psychosocial Over 200 front line positions
support. funded.
12.1, 15.5 Clinical Enhancement Round 2 Equipment. Medical and Telehealth
Priority equipment initiatives to support equipment funded.
Multidisciplinary care,Telehealth initiatives
and Access to treatment.
16.2 PDY Radiation Therapist funding 26 new positions created.
16.1 Radiotherapy Equipment funding Over $5M allocated.
7.1,7.2, GP Strategy Contracts with GP
Projects in Prevention, Screening, Early detection organisations signed.
and Treatment 2005-2206.
30 Cancer Institute NSW
Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
Case Study
Karen Gorzynska, a clinical nurse with over 20 years experience, knew the creation of Cancer Care Coordinators
by the Cancer Institute NSW would make a big difference for patients.
Having taken up one of the new positions at the Coffs Harbour Health Campus on the north coast of NSW it
didn't take long for her to realise just how much impact she could make.
"Having managed a cancer unit I knew there was a need for someone to make sure all patients received support
from diagnosis through to treatment and follow-up," Karen said.
Which is exactly what now happens at Coffs Harbour. Karen has already built up a caseload of 45 people, most of
whom she expects to support for at least a year or longer.
"I see people a day or two after diagnosis by their surgeon, oncologist or GP to make sure they know what it all
means, outline their treatment in more detail, and explore how it might affect them and their families.
The role is a comprehensive one. Karen not only needs technical knowledge about cancers, but must be able to
refer quickly to other experts like psychologists, dieticians and social workers, as well as provide the latest patient
advice.
"I'm here to minimise the impact of cancer on their lives, but I do it in partnership with all the health professionals
and community groups" she said.
Having to find support for her clients on a daily basis also means Karen has to take an interest in the development
of services locally.
Recently she helped set up the area's first bowel cancer support group, and was instrumental in establishing a
multi-disciplinary group on prostate and bladder cancers with video linkage between the region's 2 major hospitals.
While Karen expects the role to grow over time as other health professionals see the value she brings to cancer
care, she knows she will never lose sight of the patient.
"I make sure that every Friday I ring all of my clients, even if they are in Sydney for treatment.”
Cancer Institute NSW 31
Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
4. Cancer Research
Cancer research will drive the future improvement in the outcomes for cancer in NSW.
The Cancer Institute NSW Research Program is designed to accelerate the translation of
research discoveries directly into clinical practice. It will increase the capacity of NSW to be
internationally competitive and to bring increased federal research and industry funds devoted
to such research into the state.
Five achievements of the Cancer Institute NSW Research Program in 2004/05 are:
● Establishment of an independent interstate Grants Review Committee and its supporting panels
of expert peers to allocate funds.
● Completion of 2 rounds of funding using the above Committee.
● Establishment of clinical trials and health service research partnerships.
● Initiation of ethics review for epidemiology with a review of over 90 epidemiology research
proposals to use the Central Cancer Registry data. Consultation process established for
centralised ethics approval for clinical cancer research.
● Establishment of studies to review current clinical practice in melanoma, bowel cancer, prostate cancer and
lung cancer.
Cancer Institute NSW funding in 2004/05 has expanded research capacity in NSW hospitals and affiliated research
institutes and now supports:
● 22 Research Fellowships in major areas of research strength.
● 26 Infrastructure grants for research equipment, IT and personnel.
● 20 Clinical Trials nurses and data managers throughout NSW.
● 3 "Bench to Bedside" translational program grants.
● 26 PhD students supported.
In 2005/06, additional grants will expand health service research, clinical research and will connect researchers in
NSW with "cutting edge" overseas cancer research.
32 Cancer Institute NSW
Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
Research Highlights
The key goal of the Research Programs is to enable best clinical practice by ensuring significant research findings
are translated into cancer control and policy.The Cancer Institute NSW has strategically designed its research
programs to ensure the attainment of this goal.
Access to several key sources of information about the performance of cancer research in NSW allowed the
Cancer Research Advisory Committee to develop a strategic program of initiatives that will build and support
a high quality cancer research workforce and provide enabling infrastructure. It will reward areas of relevance,
excellence and strength by building complementary scientific depth in these areas.The program will support a
high level of cooperation in NSW, nationally or overseas.
The Grants Review Committee and its panel of peer reviewers have had responsibility for reviewing competitively
contested funds available in 2004/05. In August 2004 the Institute established the Grants Review Committee
(GRC) to provide independent, expert review and assessment of the Cancer Institute's competitive funding
opportunities.This Committee is comprised of interstate cancer researchers across various disciplines that are
expert in their field of research.To minimise potential conflicts of interest members are all external to NSW
and include an overseas representative.
These programs include:
Research Fellowships encourage the very best cancer researchers to choose cancer as their selected field of
research endeavour.The Fellowships provide funding opportunities to develop and support researchers who
can demonstrate substantial ability and potential as a future cancer research leader.Two rounds of these funding
have resulted in support for 22 Fellows in NSW.The Fellowship is valued up to $197,600 per annum, for a
total of 3 years.
Translational Program Grants are focussed on supporting multi-disciplinary approaches to cancer research that will
translate research discoveries into clinical programs or policy. 3 Program Grants have been awarded to outstanding
research teams to further develop cancer research capacity and competitiveness in translational research. Each
Program Grant is valued up to $750,000 for each of 5 years.
Research Leaders Program is designed to strengthen cancer research capacity by facilitating new academic posts
and outstanding research teams at NSW universities, hospitals and/or other institutions.This program is directed
to attracting outstanding researcher leaders from interstate and/or overseas, and their core team of researchers.
Cancer Institute NSW 33
Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
Research Scholar Awards provide funding opportunities to develop and support outstanding students enrolled
in a higher degree who have the potential to develop highly significant careers in cancer research. Two rounds
of funding have resulted in support of 26 Research Scholars in NSW. These Awards are valued at a total of
$25,000 per annum, for up to three years.
Infrastructure Grants Program recognises the importance of research infrastructure in ensuring cancer research
capacity and quality continues to expand in NSW. The program is therefore directed to providing substantial
financial support for key research platforms, core equipment and capacities to enhance the cancer research effort
in NSW. Support has been provided to 26 groups across NSW for research infrastructure for which there is a
clearly demonstrated need and that is reasonably accessible to cancer researchers through innovative sharing
arrangements.
The Clinical Trials Infrastructure Program is facilitating the coordination and support of cancer clinical trials in NSW,
ensuring cancer patients are given the opportunity to participate in clinical trials that offer new forms of cancer
treatment.The Cancer Institute NSW is currently funding 20 Clinical Trials Nurses and Clinical Trials Data Managers
in NSW hospitals, and is reviewing applications for a further 9 such positions to establish and support newer clinical
trials units.The Cancer Institute NSW is developing a program of information and education for Clinical Trials,
Nurses and Clinical Trial Data Managers.
The Cancer Institute NSW has also forged partnerships with key groups to deliver operational and statistical
support for clinical trials, and to provide a rigorous monitoring and audit facility to ensure units and groups
undertaking clinical trials activity in NSW are meeting the highest international standards.
The Cancer Institute NSW is playing a lead role in the establishment of the NSW Cancer Trials Group (NSWCTG)
and the first workshop to determine its terms of reference, membership and governance took place in June.
It is anticipated the NSWCTG will facilitate peer review, and evaluation of, clinical trial activity and direction within
the State, increase activity in cancer trials, provide a resource for newly established and existing groups in an
effective and coordinated way and advise the Clinical Trials Office of initiatives or future directions that require
consideration.
The Cancer Institute Ethics Committee has undertaken the review of 90 projects during 2004/05, many being
projects transferred from the responsibility of the Cancer Council NSW to the Institute with the relocation of
the Central Cancer Registry and the Pap Test Registry in June 2005.The Ethics Committee is supported by the
Research Studies Advisory Committee, established in November 2004 to undertake a scientific review of study
protocols and to make a feasibility assessment of the study design in achieving stated goals and objectives.
The model for streamlining centralised ethical review of cancer research proposals in NSW has been developed
and consultations with key stakeholders commenced in May 2005.The model will achieve a single review of
multi-site NSW cancer research, improve timelines, and improve processes for administering research governance
in Area Health Services. Ultimately this will lead to improved access by patients to new cancer therapies.
Table: Cancer Research Program
Program No Description Outcomes
25.2 Research Fellowship Program 22 Fellowships Funded
25.3 Research Scholarship Program 26 Research Scholars Funded
26 Clinical Trials Nurses and Data Managers Grants 20 Positions Funded
28 Grants Review Committee Established
29.1 Translational Program Grant 3 Program Grants Funded
27.3 Infrastructure Grants 26 Grants Awarded
34 Cancer Institute NSW
Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
Case Study
Dr Susan Henshall heard that she had received one of the first Cancer Institute NSW Research Fellowships while
living in the USA.
Based at Georgetown University in Washington DC at the time, the Award was crucial to her decision to return
with her family to live and work in Australia again.
"We had been living in the US for two years, but the three year Fellowship made it possible to pursue a research
career at home," Susan said.
Now working as a Cancer Institute NSW Fellow at the Garvan Institute in Sydney, Susan is developing new ways
to identify when a diagnosis of prostate cancer may be fatal and which men will benefit from further treatment.
Her work, which started with a research award from the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, is primarily
concerned with understanding the genes involved.
"There is a huge gap between those men diagnosed with prostate cancer and the ones who progress to a
life-threatening form of the disease," Dr Henshall said.
"Identifying the genetic signature associated with a poor prognosis has the potential to save many lives."
Dr Henshall believes that access to cancer research funding from the Cancer Institute NSW will have a major
impact on controlling cancer, not only in Australia but globally.
"The competition for research money is very intense and can distract from actually getting the work done here,"
Susan said.
"With three years of funding I can employ an assistant, plan the research over the long term and meet all the basic
costs involved. It's just a very practical way to improve the level and expertise of cancer research in Australia”.
Working with a research consortium also funded by the Cancer Institute NSW under its "Bench to Bedside"
program, Dr. Henshall's group is looking to improve the connection between prostate cancer research and patient
care.
"There are a handful of groups around the world looking at developing efficient prognostic tools in prostate
cancer, but the new research funding from the Cancer Institute means Australia is at the forefront”.
Cancer Institute NSW 35
Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
5. Cancer Information and Registries
Cancer information obtained by the Central Cancer Registry and other sources provides a valuable tool to
understand how and where to accelerate further improvement in cancer results.
Five major achievements of the Cancer Institute NSW Information and Registries Program for 2004/05 are:
● Publication of the improved NSW Cancer Incidence and Mortality Report for 2003, the first 2003 data
available in Australia.
● Development of clinical cancer registries in 5 Area Health Services.
● Construction of an interim IT reporting module for clinical data collections.
● Definition of a minimum clinical data set for all cancer patients in NSW.
● Establishment of research collaboratives in cervical cancer screening.
The NSW Cancer Incidence and Mortality Report launched in June 2005 for the first time looked back 30 years and
forward to 2011 to show important trends in cancer. Overall, cancer results in NSW are as good as anywhere in the world.
It showed that the numbers of cancer cases in NSW will increase by 25% from 32,478 new cases per year in 2003
to over 40,000 new cases per year by 2011.
The life-time risk of cancer is now 1 in 2 for men and 1 in 3 for women.
The Cancer Incidence and Mortality Report also showed that cancer death rates have started to fall dramatically.
There was a 22% fall in death rates over the last 10 years in the most prevalent cancers namely prostate, bowel
and breast cancers.
The area-based clinical data collection under construction will describe the clinical journey of each cancer patient in
NSW and provide information to better manage patients to achieve much better results. The first reports are
expected from the Clinical Registry in 2005/06.
In 2004/05 the Cancer Institute NSW has funded studies to define current care in a number of cancers in NSW.
These studies, reporting in 2005/06 will compare current treatment with "best" practice and thus identify the best
way to rapidly improve results.
In 2005/06 the treatment protocol website will be launched as a resource for clinicians to standardise and improve
practice. New reports on cancer service activity will be generated by this program.
36 Cancer Institute NSW
Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
NSW Pap Test Register
The NSW Pap Test Register (PTR) was established in 1996 as a joint effort of Australian and NSW State
Government.The PTR functions include:
● Sending reminder letters to women whose next Pap test is overdue.
● Helping to ensure significant abnormalities are followed up by medical practitioners.
● Providing health practitioners and laboratories with a woman's cervical history.
● Providing data to assist cervical screening program development.
● Participating in research on cervical health.
The Register had a smooth transition from the NSW Cancer Council to the Cancer Institute NSW in July 2004.
It maintained the majority of staff members and the operation of the PTR was not affected by the relocation.
By 30 June 2005 there were approximately 2,200,000 women on the Register's database, with 6,178,944 cytology
results and 252,483 histology results. From 1 July 2004 to 30 June 2005, the register received 677,843 cytology test
results and 27,210 histology test results from 45 laboratories.
The PTR advisory committee was re-established in early 2005 with representatives of general practitioners,
gynaecologists, epidemiologist, histology pathologists, cytology pathologists, NSW Department of Health, NSW
Cervical Screening Program and community members.
NSW PTR has contributed to the national Cervical Cytology Coding Sheet Working Group's work to improve the
Register's' coding system. PTR also has a representative on the national Cervical Screening Follow Up Protocol
Working Group to improve the Register's' follow up procedure according to the new evidence.
PTR works closely with the NSW Cervical Screening Program and to continually provide accurate and timely data for
the Program's planning, monitoring and evaluation. Between 1994-2003, cervical cancer incident rates fell by 46%.
The PTR has been continually working on quality improvement.The follow up procedures to meet women's needs.
For young women aged under 16 years, the welcome letters will be sent to them via their doctors rather than
directly to their home address.This change has been approved by the NSW Department of Health. Death
matching has become a regular quarterly activity for PTR to reduce distress to families, who may receive a letter
addressed to a deceased family member, and improve in the quality of the data held by the Register.
The Register has expanded its role in the collaboration and initiation of research projects. During the last financial
year, the Register has contributed to the following project development: Cervical Health Study in collaboration with
the NSW Cancer Council,Thin Prep Imager Pap test results analysis, and the study to quantify the risk of gaining a
cervical cancer by period post initial screen by outcome of that initial screen in the current policy environment.
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Cancer Information and Registries Highlights
Cancer Incidence and Mortality in NSW in 2003
There were 32,478 new cases of cancer in NSW in 2003 (17,707 cases in males and 14,771 in females).The most
common cancers (59%) in males were: prostate (26% of all cases), large bowel (13%), melanoma of the skin (11%)
and lung cancers (10%). In females the four most common cancers (58%) were: breast cancer (29%), large bowel
cancer (13%), melanoma of the skin (9%) and lung cancer (7%).
In NSW in 2003, the most common cause of cancer death overall were cancers of the lung (18%), large bowel
(13%) unknown site (10%) prostate and breast accounting for 55% of all cancer deaths.
Data presented in the report
The main positive aspects of the trends presented in the report are:
1. A fall in prostate cancer mortality.
2. A fall in breast cancer mortality.
3. A stabilising of incidence and the decline in mortality from large bowel cancer.
4. A continuing decrease in incidence and mortality from cervical cancer.
5. A decline in the incidence of uterine cancer.
6. A decline in mortality rates for all cancers.
The main issues of concern in common cancers are:
● A high incidence of breast cancer that is still increasing.
● An increasing incidence of melanoma in males and females.
● An increase in incidence of lung cancer in females.
● An increase in mortality rates from liver cancer.
New features of the Cancer Incidence and Mortality report
● Projections of cancer incidence in 2006 and 2011.
● Incidence and mortality trends over 30 years.
● Clinical groupings of cancer.
● Trends in histological groups.
● Summary boxes of key points in lay language.
38 Cancer Institute NSW
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Standard Cancer Treatments (SCaT) Program
Goal 13 of the NSW Cancer Plan 2004-2006 is to ensure that clinical cancer practice is evidence-based and
research driven. The Standard Cancer Treatment protocols program, enables cancer clinicians, general practitioners
to access complete treatment protocols, their supporting evidence and dose calculation. Patients and the public can
also find detailed information on their treatment and its side effects.
Two Reference Groups (Medical Oncology and Haematology) review and endorse all protocols. Cancer Institute
NSW clinical staff prepare drafts of treatment protocols which contain information such as indications, drug doses,
nursing instructions, clinical tips and evidence supporting the use of the protocol.The draft protocols are revised in
detail by two doctors prior to presentation and discussion at a Reference Group workshop. Approved protocols
are posted on the website.The aim is to present clear instructions on how to correctly deliver a particular
treatment.To date, we have used this process to post a number of haematology protocols on the web.
The reference groups ensure critical review and consensus are established.They also aid the dissemination of
information, in turn leading to change of practice and standardisation of care.
The protocols are reviewed yearly to ensure they are based on the best available evidence at the time.
A qualitative evaluation program has been established to monitor the effectiveness of the program through
three phases.
The Steering Committee meets quarterly to ensure the project stays on track and meets its objectives.
The Clinical Cancer Registry (ClinCR) Project
Accurate clinical information is needed to ensure best practice is being delivered to cancer patients. Currently,
information on the stage, treatment and intermediate outcomes of cancer patients cannot be aggregated or
analysed. Area cancer services also need to monitor and benchmark the appropriateness and effectiveness of care.
The National Cancer (Clinical) Minimum Data Set supports these aims.
Program 22.2 of the NSW Cancer Plan 2004 - 2006 is the development of Area-based Clinical Cancer Registries,
as identified in the Clinical Service Framework for Optimising Cancer Management (Standard 2.5).
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Broadly, the Clinical Cancer Registry will provide detailed and timely information on service volumes and trends,
access, quality of care and key cancer outcomes linked to treatment sites and modalities. The Clinical Cancer
Registry will also facilitate Area monitoring and review of patterns and quality of care for cancer.
The pilot Clinical Cancer Registry will be extensively tested and reviewed in the selected Areas over a period of
12 to 24 months, and subject to a detailed benefits analysis before assessing whether, and if, the clinical data should
be collected comprehensively across NSW.
The Cancer Institute NSW and the NSW Department of Health have developed the interim Clinical Cancer
Registry Module.This Area-based, centrally hosted database is accessible only from hospitals via the NSW Health
Intranet secure network.
The Cancer Institute NSW sent Expressions of Interest to Area Health Services in NSW inviting them to submit a
proposal for piloting clinical cancer registration. Five lead Area Health Services have been contracted by the Cancer
Institute NSW to pilot clinical cancer registration.
Lead Areas are:
Sydney South West Area Health Service (SSWAHS)
Sydney West Area Health Service (SWAHS)
Northern Sydney and Central Coast Area Health Service (NSCCAHS)
South Eastern Sydney and Illawarra Area Health Service (SESIAHS)
North Coast Area Health Service (NCAHS)
Five Cancer Information Project Managers were recruited to manage the Area Pilot projects.The Area Project
Managers report directly to their Director of Cancer Services.The first milestone for Project Managers has been
the development of an Implementation Planning Study (IPS) for their Area pilot.
In addition, the Cancer Institute NSW has engaged clinical leaders in gynaecology oncology, via the Greater
Metropolitan Clinical Taskforce, and genitourinary oncology, to define their priority information requirements for
monitoring quality of care.
40 Cancer Institute NSW
Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
Case Study
In June 2005 the Cancer Institute NSW released figures showing that 32,478 new cases of cancer were diagnosed
in 2003, with predictions that this would rise by 25% in 2011.
The information was drawn from the 2003 Cancer Incidence and Mortality (CIM) Report, a yearly snapshot based
on the most up to date cancer statistics that has had 32 editions since 1972.
The CIM Report is just one of the crucial tasks that the NSW Central Cancer Registry, which is based at the
Cancer Institute NSW, undertakes in an effort to map how cancer affects our community, now and in the future.
The NSW Central Cancer Registry contributes to the prevention, control and treatment of cancer in the
population of NSW by supplying timely and accurate data based on a total record of all cases of cancer diagnosed
in NSW residents.
As cancer is a notifiable disease, the whole process must first begin with the people who have been diagnosed with
cancer.
The NSW Central Cancer Registry receives cancer notifications from a number of sources - a pathology service
that has analysed diseased tissue, a hospital admitting a patient or a chemotherapy or radiation service treating
someone as an outpatient.
A cancer notification includes personal details such as name and address which are needed to ensure that accurate
information is recorded for each person and that each new cancer is counted only once in the statistics.This
personal history, which is protected by NSW Public Health Act, provides the NSW Central Cancer Registry with
the ability to determine how many new cases of cancer are registered in NSW residents
It's a similar process with cancer deaths and their notifications not only allows the Registry to calculate cancer
mortality in NSW, but once married with the earlier diagnosis provides a comprehensive picture of survival.
NSW Central Cancer Registry information is absolutely vital in planning and monitoring services for the control
of cancer in NSW.
As a result, the NSW Central Cancer Registry is continually contributing to many studies such as, patterns of care
for prostate and colorectal cancer patients, mobile phones, breast cancer, genetics and supportive care.
Cancer Institute NSW 41
Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
6. Cancer Communication and Education
The Cancer Institute NSW Communications and Education Program provides support to the
major programs above.
Five major achievements of the CINSW Education and Communications Program for 2004/05:
Development of the NSW Directory of Cancer Services.
● Construction of the Cancer Institute NSW interim website.
● Community forums in rural and outer metropolitan areas to understand the information and supportive
care needs of people affected by cancer
● Development of an orientation and educational program for new cancer health professionals in AHS.
● Establishment of the Basic Course in Oncology for trainee specialist registrars at the Cancer Institute NSW.
An interim web site has been developed at www.cancerinstitute.org.au to provide a credible source of cancer
information with key links to professional cancer web sites worldwide.
This program will support the clinical program in finalising the Professional Development Package for roll out in
2005/06.
42 Cancer Institute NSW
Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
Cancer Communication and Education Highlights
NSW Directory of Cancer Services
Cancer patients, their family and carers need to know they are receiving the best possible treatment and care.
For some, it might mean treatment over many years, often involving more than one hospital and specialist team.
The NSW Directory of Cancer Services will ensure a better approach to patient care. It will help health professions
access a range of specialist services for their patients and enable people affected by cancer to navigate the
healthcare system and locate the support organisations they might need.
During the year, the Cancer Institute NSW established a scoping process for the Directory. It will contain details
of specialist cancer teams and the range of supportive care programmes for people affected by cancer.The
Accommodation and Cancer Support Group sections have been completed and will be available as a searchable
directory and brochure during October 2005.
Website
The Cancer Institute's web site has been developed to provide a credible source of information for the cancer
community across NSW. As more of the Cancer Institute's programmes are implemented, the Website will
continue to evolve. During 2005/06, a new website will be launched which will enable greater crosstalk between
our stakeholder groups.
Patient Forums or "Town Hall" Meetings
People affected by cancer have many unmet information and supportive care needs. It is by learning from the
experiences of patients and their carers that the Cancer Institute NSW can ensure patients at the heart of
everything we do.
To ensure a broad and meaningful engagement, eight community forums were organised in Albury, Broken Hill,
Coffs Harbour, Dubbo, Newcastle,Taree, Wagga Wagga, Western Sydney.The forums attracted over 200 participants
and, for those who could not attend, a survey was distributed. In total over 300 surveys were to cancer patients
and their carers.
Our analysis has shown that nine out of 10 people want to receive written information about their diagnosis.
Despite this, only 70% could recall receiving written information with 20% struggling to understand its content. Eight
out of ten wanted to receive 'information they could trust' about complementary therapies and 'herbal remedies'.
Seven out of 10 participants wanted to know about local support groups with 20% wanting to find out how to set
up there own support organisation. Seven out of 10 patients wanted to be able to talk to a counsellor or
'someone who shared a similar experience to themselves'.
Our forums also highlighted the gaps in 'patient information pathways' and the difficulties and financial problems
many patients faced having to travel long distances for treatment.
The Cancer Institute NSW is committed to regular community forums and is working to ensure better experiences
for people affected by cancer.
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Patient Information
People effected by cancer are like anyone else, they want information about their cancer that is easy to understand
and delivered in a timely and sensitive way. Research has shown that people who are well informed, experience less
anxiety, uncertainty and distress, are more satisfied with their experience and better placed to cope with their
illness.
Despite this our patient forums and surveys have revealed that not all patients were satisfied with the written
information they received. In addition, many nurses highlighted their lack of knowledge about 'what information was
out there'.
As a result, the Cancer Institute NSW initiated an audit of the written information available to patients and their
carers in NSW. This has led to a comprehensive A-Z guide of patient information, which will be available for health
professionals and patients in October 2005.
Education
Improving cancer services is not always about more staff and equipment. Developing a highly trained and educated
profession is essential if we are to ensure the best possible outcomes for patients and attract and retain personnel.
During the year, the Education Programme developed orientation workshops for all newly funded post-holders.
The orientation programme aimed to provide an overview of the NSW Cancer Plan and provide a common
understanding of the new roles and the Cancer Institute NSW’s vision.The workshops and surveys also provided
an opportunity for the Cancer Institute NSW to recognise the challenges and educational and training needs of the
profession.
Basic Sciences in Oncology Course (BSOC)
During the year, and as part of our commitment to the ongoing training of cancer health professionals, the Cancer
Institute NSW developed and hosted the Basic Sciences in Oncology Course.
The oversubscribed course provides a multidisciplinary seminar and workshop programme for 40 health
professionals engaged in oncology and allied fields. Conducted in partnership with the faculty of Radiation
Oncology, RANZCR and the Medical Oncology Group, RACP, the course covers anatomy, communication skills,
molecular biology, palliative science, physics and radiobiology.The Cancer Institute NSW provided four scholarships
and attracted almost 60 applicants.
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Case Study
Lynn McCudden may not feel confident enough to say she has survived cancer just yet, but it hasn't stopped her
telling her story and helping others in the process.
Which is why she was one the first people in the Newcastle area to sign up for a Community Forum run by the
Cancer Institute NSW, one of a series across the state aimed at understanding the cancer experience.
"I'm not quite at five years survival, but I believe the more we talk about what it does to our lives, not only while
we're in treatment but long after, then the better we'll all be," Lynn said.
Lynn should know. After having three separate cancers identified in one of her breasts, one of them extremely rare,
she underwent two bouts of surgery, as well radiation therapy and chemotherapy.
"Yes it was a painful experience and it changed me forever, but I also learned a lot about myself and met some
incredible people along the way. Not only amazing doctors, nurses and counsellors, but real people facing very hard
times.
Lynn decided she had to share just what she and others were going through. Her first book, "Wake Up Call", was
an intimate account of months in treatment that evolved from a journal she kept through the whole process.
A second book, "Never Cry Blue Tears", was published this year. Based on interviews with 43 people either with
cancer or in survival ranging in age from 13 to 82 years, Lynn is donating all proceeds to CanTeen.
"By doing the book, I came to realise the importance in creating opportunities for people to meet. I also realised
just how little awareness or help there was about cancer survival.
While Lynn has been attending a local cancer support group she still welcomed a chance to come along to the
Cancer Institute's Newcastle Community Forum.
"It was a great day and we could've gone for at least two. I think it meant a lot to people who have had a diagnosis
of cancer, that there was a chance for us to tell our story, but also to look at where more can be done.
Cancer Institute NSW 45
Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
Developing the Cancer Institute NSW
Over the last 12 months the Cancer Institute NSW has established itself as an organization
with the capabilities to fulfil its obligations under the Act.
Six major achievements for 2004/05 are:
● Establishment of a corporate presence at the Australian Technology Park including stand-alone information
technology and records system.
● Strategic planning by the Board, staff and with stakeholders to set the major directions of the Cancer
Institute NSW.
● Establishment of a financial reporting system, internal and external audit processes, risk management review
and review of standard policies and operating procedures with an emphasis placed on performance
management.
● Establishment of the capability and processes to provide high level advice to the government, NSW Health,
key stakeholders and the public on all aspects of cancer control in NSW.
● Transfer the Central Cancer Registry and the Pap Test Register from the NSW Cancer Council to the
Cancer Institute NSW while maintaining full function.
● A project management office established with implementation of high priority initiatives in each of the 6
major program areas.
During 2005/06 the screening programs will transfer from the Sydney West Area Health Service to the Cancer
Institute NSW. The Cancer Institute NSW will further consolidate its procedures and policies, provide more
comprehensive reports and complete work underway on program evaluation and accreditation of institutions in
NSW.
46 Cancer Institute NSW
Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
Corporate Development Highlights
Includes Human Resources, Information Technology, Finance and Administration.
Key Achievements 2004/05
Human Resources
● Recruited a high performance Cancer Institute NSW team.
● Initiated the staff development of organisational culture.
● Successfully integrated the Cancer Registries into the Institute.
● Developed and implemented sound human resource processes and procedures.
● Facilitated all staff's involvements in the development of the Institute's mission, guiding principles, and enabling
business methodologies - the early foundation of a high performance organisational culture.
● Comprehensively confirmed the Institute's standard operating procedure requirements in HR, IT and Finance.
Information Technology
● Migration from Department of Health core infrastructure and shared support services to our own internally
supported and managed environment.
● Successful relocation of the Central Cancer Registry and the Pap Test Register from the Cancer Council NSW
to the Institute with no loss of business functions.
● Selection and phased implementation to production approach of a Records and Information Management
System - TRIM.
● Staff recruitment and retention of existing staff in key positions.
● Initiation of pilot project to allow pathology laboratories in NSW to provide electronic cancer notifications the
NSW Central Cancer Registry, with the objective to replace the current paper-based system.
● Development of the Institute's Project Management Methodology and the implementation of the Project
Management Office (PMO).
Finance & Administration
● Transfer from NSW Health Finance Department to Central Corporate Services Unit (CCSU).
● Development of finance policies and procedures as outlined in Internal Audit Bureau report - ongoing.
● Refining reporting requirements to comply with reporting standards and external audit - ongoing.
● Transfer of all finance functions for screening - ongoing.
● Enhancing internal reporting (incorporating project accounting) - ongoing.
Highlights 2004/05
Over the past 12 months the Cancer Institute NSW has experienced significant system enhancements, software
and hardware upgrades in order to provide the technical support, resilience and robustness of the Information
Technology requirements to the Cancer Institute NSW.
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Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
Our recent departure from the Shared Support Services provided by NSW Health required the Cancer Institute
to seek alternative solutions. After an extensive evaluation process it was decided that the most appropriate and
cost effective approach was to provide an "in house" IT support service. This relatively new initiative has been well
received by the Cancer Institute NSW staff, as support calls have been logged and resolved in a timelier manner
than previously experienced.
Both the Central Cancer Registry and the NSW Pap Test Register have made a very successful transition from
their previous location at the Cancer Council NSW in Woolloomooloo to the Cancer Institute at the Australian
Technology Park, Eveleigh. All staff accepted the offer of employment with the Cancer Institute, as a result of this,
vital skills were retained and the team are enjoying their new location.
The number of outstanding requested enhancements and modifications to both the Central Cancer Registry and
the NSW Pap Test Register software continues to decrease as the systems continue to mature, which yields a
corresponding decrease in the dependence on IT programming staff. In addition, the systems have proven to be
very stable, requiring minimal IT support during periods when IT programming staff were on leave during the year.
In order for the Cancer Institute to comply with the State Records Act 1998 we were required to implement a
records management program that encompasses all records created. A formal Request for Proposal was issued
to the market under contract ITS2323 period panel. After a stringent evaluation and selection process the Total
Records Information System (TRIM) was selected and subsequently implemented within the Cancer Institute.
The pilot project to replace paper-based cancer notifications from pathology laboratories with electronic
notifications has the potential to significantly streamline the operation of this data flow.The NSW Central Cancer
Registry currently processes over 80,000 cancer notifications per annum from laboratories in paper format, which
are mailed to the NSW Central Cancer Registry, then manually scanned into the WorkFlow Management system
for further manual (human) processing. Using electronic notifications, these 80,000 notifications would arrive as
electronic messages, and then automatically flow into the WorkFlow Management system without user intervention.
The pilot project would establish a proof-of-concept with two large pathology laboratories, one public and one
private.
For the Cancer Institute NSW to successfully deliver high priority areas of the NSW Cancer Plan 2004 - 2006 a
unified approach and project methodology has been developed. This methodology will provide the framework,
checklists, processes and terminology, which will be consistent with the Cancer Institute's needs in managing the
successful delivery of projects. A project management office has been established to ensure that the management
of projects across the Cancer Institute is consistent and effective and to enable the executive to manage the
portfolio of projects.
The major achievement during the 2004 /2005 financial year is the transfer of finance functions from the
Department of Health Finance to Central Corporate Services Unit (CCSU). Our current process through CCSU
incorporates payroll, payables, receivables, general ledger reporting, external reporting and purchasing. We also have
set up all our suppliers for good and services independent of the Department of Health.
The Area Health Service (ASHS)funding is still processed through the Department of Health.This enables us to
remit funds to the AHS via the Department of Health Reporting and System (DOHRS) system and therefore the
AHS is accountable in reporting to the Department and to the Cancer Institute.
Other finance related facets are ongoing such as definition of policies, procedures, internal, external audit, transfer
of Screening and project-reporting.These achievements will be further consolidated as we move into the new
financial year.
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CANCER INSTITUTE NSW
F I N A N C I A L R E P O R T
For the year ended 30 June 2005
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Financial Statements
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Appendix 1 - Board of the Cancer Institute NSW
Chairperson (August 2003 to June 2005)
The Honorable Justice PA Bergin, Supreme Court of New South Wales
Justice Bergin has been a Judge of the Supreme Court of NSW since 1999. She served as Chairperson of the
NSW Cancer Council from 1997 to 1999, introducing new governance measures and a new strategic direction for
the organisation. Justice Bergin was admitted as a solicitor in 1981 and as a barrister in 1984, and was appointed
Senior Counsel (SC) in 1998. Justice Bergin resigned from her position as founding Chairperson in June 2005.
Acting Chairperson (from June 2005)
Ms JilI Boehm RN, CM, C ORTH, M Mgt, AIMM, FAICD
Ms Jill Boehm is the CEO of the Cancer Patients Assistance Society of NSW, and manages the Jean Colvin Hospital
in Darling Point, a facility for patients travelling from rural areas to Sydney to receive cancer treatment. Ms Boehm
is also a member of the steering committee establishing an accommodation facility for cancer patients in Wagga
Wagga, and has been instrumental in developing additional rural branches of the Society and in improving
communication links between head office and rural branches. Ms Boehm is a registered nurse and representative of
the NSW Nurses Registration Board on Professional and Tribunal matters, a Fellow of the Australian Institute of
Company Directors and a Member of the Australian Institute of Management.
Chief Cancer Officer
Professor Jim Bishop MD, MMed, MBBS, FRACP, FRCPA
Professor Bishop became a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (FRACP) and a Fellow of the
Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia (FRCPA) in haematology in 1979. He was awarded a Fulbright
Scholarship to study medical oncology at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), USA from 1979 to 1981. At the
Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute, Melbourne, he was a consultant medical oncologist from 1981 to 1995, Head of
Clinical Research from 1988 and Director of the Division of Haematology and Medical Oncology from 1990. From
1995 to 2003 Professor Bishop was the Director of the Sydney Cancer Centre at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
and Concord Hospital in Sydney, and directed the Cancer Service for the Central Sydney Area Health Service. He
is the Professor of Cancer Medicine at the University of Sydney.
Professor Bishop has been a practising Oncologist for 25 years and his particular research interests are in clinical
trials, new anti-cancer drug development and new cancer therapies. He has coordinated national clinical trials in
leukaemia, breast cancer and lung cancer. He has authored more than 180 scientific papers on cancer, 150 abstracts
and a textbook on cancer. He was awarded a Doctorate of Medicine by research thesis (Platelet Transfusion
Therapy) in 1990 and a Master of Medicine by research thesis (Induction Therapy for Acute Myeloid Leukaemia)
in 1999. Professor Bishop was appointed CEO of the Cancer Institute in August 2003.
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Members
Dr Patrick Cregan MBBS, FRACS
Dr Cregan is a specialist surgeon based at Nepean Hospital, with a major interest in breast, endocrine and
endoscopic surgery. Dr Cregan has a particular interest in surgical robotics, having performed Australia's first and
the world's sixth telesurgical procedure. Other interests include a research interest in the mathematical modelling of
cancer, patient communication and the application of advanced technologies. Dr Cregan has served on a number
of committees or boards, including the Royal Australian College of Surgeons, Wentworth Area Health Service,
NSW Health Clinical Council and the Australasian Medical Simulation Society. Dr Cregan is the Medical
Director of a private medical technology and research company, Medicvision.
The Hon John Fahey AC (August 2003 - January 2005)
The Honourable John Fahey was formerly the Premier of New South Wales and after transferring to federal politics
served for nearly six years as Minister of Finance and Administration. Mr Fahey retired from politics after being
diagnosed and treated for lung cancer. He currently serves on a number of commercial, sporting and community
Boards including the health-related Royal Flying Doctors Service and Australasian Medical Insurance Limited and is a
patron of Cancer Voices NSW. Mr Fahey resigned from the Board in January 2005.
Dr Viven Lane RN, C.Onc, BA(Hons), PhD, FCN
Dr Vivien Lane (Sydney West Area Health Service (SWAHS) and affiliated with the University of Technology-
Sydney (UTS)) . Dr Lane has 30 years cancer nursing experience with special interests in cervical cancer screening
and theorising nursical-oncology utilising nursing taxonomies. She developed post-graduate curricula for the College
of Nursing, UTS and SWAHS. Dr Lane has experience with human research ethics committees and was founding
chairwoman of the Western Sydney Area Health Service Bioethics Consultative Committee. Dr Lane is also a board
member of CanAssist.
Dr Geoffrey Pritchard MBBS, MSc, FRACS
Dr Geoffrey Pritchard, former Mayor of Tumut Shire Council and Clinical Director of the Southern Area Health
Service. Dr Pritchard has previously worked in the city and rural areas as a general surgeon. During this time he
established the palliative care unit at the Prince Henry and Prince of Wales Hospitals in Sydney and was a member
of the Peer Review Committee for the NSW Medical Board (Surgery).The last 13 years of his practice were spent
as a surgeon and general practitioner in rural practice. Dr Pritchard is also a cancer survivor, having had radical
surgery for melanoma.
Professor Sally Redman BA (Hons), PhD
Professor Redman is the Chief Executive Officer of the Institute for Health Research (now the Sax Institute) and
has academic appointments at the University of Newcastle, University of Sydney and University of New South
Wales. Professor Redman is a member of the Board of the National Institute for Clinical Studies and was formerly
the CEO of the National Breast Cancer Centre.
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Professor John Simes BSc, MBBS,VQE, SM, FRACP, MD
Professor Simes is a Senior Principal Research Fellow and Director, NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre, University of
Sydney. Professor Simes is Professor of Clinical Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Sydney; Medical
Oncologist, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital; Board Member and Coordinating Statistician, ANZ Breast Cancer Trials
Group Incorporated; and Board member, Australasian Gastro-Intestinal Trial Group Incorporated. Professor Simes
participates in a wide range of scientific committees, including the Medicare Services Advisory Committee, the
Project Grants Committee, the NHMRC, and the International Breast Cancer Intervention Study Steering
Committee.
Professor Robert Sutherland BAgrSc, MAgrSc, PhD, DS
Professor Sutherland is the Director of the Cancer Research Program at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research,
a Senior Principal Research Fellow of the National Health and Medical Research Council and Professor, School of
Medicine, University of New South Wales. Professor Sutherland has been responsible for the development of
Garvan's basic and translational cancer research programs aimed at identifying new genes involved in the
development and progression of diverse cancers, and their use as diagnostic and prognostic markers and as
novel therapeutic targets for treatment and prevention.
Professor John Zalcberg MBBS, PhD, FRACP
Professor John Zalcberg is the Director of the Division of Haematology and Medical Oncology at the Peter
MacCallum Institute in Melbourne. Professor Zalcberg helped establish the Cancer Alliance Network, a national
cancer consumer network, and is Executive Secretary and co-founder of the Lorne Cancer Conference. Professor
Zalcberg is a member of the Standing Research Sub-Committee of the Cancer Council,Victoria, and grant reviewer
for Cancer Councils of other states, the NH&MRC and other granting agencies. Professor Zalcberg board experience
includes being the Chairmanship of the Australasian Gastro-Intestinal Trials Group and a member of the Board of
Cancer Trials Australia.
Board Meetings
During the year, the Board met on seven occasions. Attendance of Board members was as follows:
r
be 4 05 5 05
m 04 04 00 04 20 00
e 20 20 t2 20 l2 20
M ch i ne
d ly ug Se
p ov ar pr Ju
ar Ju A N M A
Bo 21 18 22 24 23 27 22
Justice P.A. Bergin (Resigned)
Professor Jim Bishop
Ms Jill Boehm
Dr Patrick Cregan
Mr John Fahey (Resigned)
A/Professor Vivien Lane
Dr Geoffrey Pritchard
Professor Sally Redman
Professor John Simes
Professor Rob Sutherland
Professor John Zalcberg
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Appendix 2 - Cancer Institute NSW Staff
Program and Executive
Executive
Prof Jim Bishop Chief Cancer Officer
Beth Macauley Chief Operating Officer
Liza Collins Senior Policy Advisor
Kelly Smith Executive Assistant to Chief Cancer Officer
Corporate (Finance, HR, IT & Admin)
David Sabanayagam Finance & Administration Manager
Marie Crowley Payroll Officer
Daisy Krahay Finance Officer
Emma Parnell Receptionist/Admin Support Officer
Katherine MacHutchison Human Resources Manager
Sharon McIvor Human Resources Manager
Michael Schmitz IT Manager
Brendan Fahey Senior Systems Administrator
Perry Ramen Systems & Database Administrator/Analyst
David Schanzer Senior Analyst/Programmer
Deirdre Slattery Project Officer Records & Knowledge Management
David Wyndham Analyst/Programmer
Cancer Prevention
Trish Cotter Program Manager,Tobacco
Anita Dessaix Project Officer,Tobacco
Graeme Hickey Admin Support Officer
Cancer Services
Denise Thomas Director Clinical Programs
Philippa Cahill Program Manager Cancer Nursing
Prof Paul Harnett Scientific Director Clinical Services
Richard Hawkins Clinical Programs Manager
Anthea Hepburn Project Officer
Terry Juarez Admin Support Officer
Matthew Mikus-Wellings Project Officer
Dr Paula Mohacsi Project Officer
Dr Nicole Rankin Program Manager
70 Cancer Institute NSW
Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
Cancer Research
Carmel Edwards Head Research Programs
Parisa Abolhasan Research Project Officer
Rodney Ecclestone Ethics Manager
Rada Kusic Clinical Trials Manager
Lucy Velnic Admin Support Officer
Information and Registries
Dr Paul Jelfs Director Population Health and Registries
Neville Board Cancer Information Systems Manager
Nari Clarke Project Officer, Clinical Cancer Registry
Tanya Johannsen Admin Support Officer
Sally Meighan Project Officer, Cancer Treatment Protocols
Lindy McDougall Data Clerk
Shelley Rushton Project Officer Standard Cancer Treatments
Prof Robyn Ward Scientific Director Standard Treatment Protocols
Prof David Roder Scientific Advisor
Communication and Education
Dr David Manning Head Communications
Louise Farrell Project Officer, GP Education
Stephen Freeth Media Manager
Danielle Hickie Website Coordinator
Bridget Jackson Media Support Officer
Kristy Lawrence Admin Support Officer
Fiona Shipman Education and Training Manager
NSW Central Cancer Registry
Scott Maunder Operations Manager Registries
Elizabeth Tracey Strategic Manager
Maria Arcorace Medical Coding Supervisor
Lisa Barry Medical Data Clerk
Denise Bradford Medical Data Clerk
Louise Carroll Biostatistician
Sam Chen Medical Coder
Shuling Chen Biostatistician
Wendy Chen Medical Coder/Analyst
Celia Ching Admin Officer & Medical Data Clerk
Claire Cooke-Yarborough Medical Advisor
Bruna Corti Medical Coder
Joanne Croucher Patient Recruitment Coordinator
Cancer Institute NSW 71
Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
NSW Central Cancer Registry (Continued)
Michelle Emanuels Medical Data Clerk
Diana Fletcher Medical Data Clerk
Basil Goonewardene Medical Coder
Vijay Gounder Medical Data Clerk
Janet Lee Medical Coder
Dale Matthews Medical Coder
Karen Mulherin Notifications Coordinator
Anne Pelquest-Hunt Medical Coder
Sharon Pettigrew Medical Coder
Lesley Porter Project Coordinator
Brenda Potter Medical Data Clerk
Abdur Rouf Medical Coder
Lilian Scafaro Medical Data Clerk
Clementina Squadrito Medical Coder
Haining Xie Medical Coder
NSW Pap Test Register
Yeqin Zuo Strategic Manager
Maureen Allemann Follow-up & Admin Officer
Nadine Ben-Major Data Officer
Carlya Booth Follow-up Coordinator
Jayne Court Data Officer
Dianne Gallagher Information Officer
Meg Kaegi Data Officer
Karen Lee Data Officer
John Leonard Data Officer
Julianne O'Flynn Registry Project Officer
Rachel Rodd Information Officer
Belinda Seeto Data Manager
Suzanne Voysey Assistant Follow Up Coordinator
72 Cancer Institute NSW
Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
Appendix 3 - Advisory Committees and Working Parties 2004/05
Cancer Education and Workforce Working Party
Member Position Institution
A/Prof Kathy Baker Chief Nursing Officer NSW Health Department
A/Prof Michael Barton Research Director CCORE Liverpool Hospital
Prof Mary Chiarella Chief Nursing Officer NSW Department of Health
A/Prof Stephen Clarke Medical Oncologist Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
Mr Keith Cox Clinical Nurse Consultant, Chemotherapy Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
Prof Philip Crowe Clinical School University of NSW, Prince
of Wales Hospital
A/Prof Afaf Girgis Director, Cancer Education Cancer Council NSW,
Research Program University of Newcastle
Prof Mark Harris Professor of General Practice / Head, University of NSW
School of Community Medicine
Ms Jenny Hughes Manager, Strategies & Settings NSW Department of Health
Ms Elisabeth Kochman Community Representative Cancer Voices NSW
Ms Beverly Kushert Community Representative
Dr Vivien Lane Nursing Education Westmead Hospital, Western
Sydney Area Health Service
Ms Karen Mackie Community Representative
Prof Brian McAvoy Deputy Director National Cancer Control Initiative
Prof Bernard Stewart (Chair) Professor & Director Cancer Services South Eastern Sydney Area
Health Service
Dr Kendra Sundquist Manager, Supportive Care Development Unit Cancer Council NSW
Dr Sandra Turner (Deputy Chair) Senior Staff Specialist Westmead Hospital
Mr Greg Weblin Assistant Director, NSW Department of Health
Online Services Development
Cancer Information and Registries Working Party
Member Position Institution
A/Prof Stephen Ackland Director of Medical Oncology Newcastle Mater Misericordiae
(Deputy Chair) Hospital
A/Prof Martin Berry (Chair) Director of Cancer Services South Western Sydney Area
Health Service
Mr Michael Coley Community Representative
Mr John Haswell A/Director of Information Western Sydney Area Health
Technology Services Service
Dr Paul Jelfs Director, Epidemiology Branch Dept of Human Services, South
South Australia
Cancer Institute NSW 73
Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
Cancer Information and Registries Working Party
Member Position Institution
Dr Louisa Jorm Director, Centre for NSW Department of Health
Epidemiology & Research
A/Prof Bill Kricker South Western Sydney Area Health
Service & University of NSW
Prof David Roder A/Director of Population South Australia Cancer Council
Health & Registries
A/Prof Freddy Sitas Director of the Cancer Research The Cancer Council NSW and
& Registers Division University of NSW
A/Prof Michael Solomon Colorectal surgeon Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and
University of Sydney
Dr Norman Thompson Community Representative Cancer Voices NSW
Ms Elizabeth Tracey Manager, NSW Central Cancer Registry Cancer Institute NSW
Dr Paul Tridgell Clinical Director, Health System Performance NSW Department of Health
Prof Robyn Ward Staff Specialist in Medical Oncology St Vincent's Hospital & University
of NSW
Cancer Institute NSW Ethics Committee
Member NHMRC Membership category Institution
A/Prof Paul Glare Current knowledge and experience in University of Sydney, Royal Prince
professional care and treatment of Alfred Hospital, Dubbo Base Hospital,
cancer patients. Hospital, Central Sydney area Health
Service
Mrs Lois Grassi Community Representative
Ms Rhonda Gray Community Representative
Ms Julie Hamblin Lawyer Ebsworth & Ebsworth
Ms Rada Kusic Current knowledge and experience in Cancer Institute NSW.
professional care and treatment of
cancer patients.
Dr Lisa Horvath Current experience and knowledge Garvan Institute of Medical Research,
of cancer research. Research, Royal Prince Alfred
Hospital
Mr James Jenkins Community Representative
A/Prof Vivien Lane Interim Chair Westmead Hospital, Western
Sydney Area Health Service
Prof Stephen Leeder Chairperson Prof Public Health & Community
Medicine, University of Sydney
Director, Australian Health
Policy Institute
Dr Winston Liauw Current experience and knowledge St Vincent's Hospital
of cancer research St George Hospital
Mr Norman Neill Community Representative
Dr Paul Jelfs Experience in epidemiology and data Director, Population Health
governance. & Registries
Ms Carmel Edwards Ex-Officio Cancer Institute NSW
Rev Ross Saunders Minister of Religion
74 Cancer Institute NSW
Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
Cancer Registry Advisory Committee
Member Position Institution
Prof Bruce Armstrong Representative with a research background University of Sydney and
(Chairperson) user of cancer registry data. Cancer Council NSW
Previous Director of CRRD
Dr Michael Bilous Representative of the Royal Australasian Institute of Clinical Pathology and
College of Pathologists Medical Research Westmead
Director - Department of Tissue Pathology Hospital
Prof Jim Bishop Chief Cancer Officer and Cancer Institute NSW
Chief Executive Officer
Mr Neville Board Cancer Information Systems Manager Cancer Institute NSW
Ms Stephanie Callaghan Representative from the Australian Assistant Director, Health and Vital
Bureau of Statistics Statistics Unit
Ms Joanne Chicco Clinical Coding Consultant Senior Consultant Clinical Data
Management
Ms Sally Crossing Consumer Representative Cancer Voices
Ms Beth Macauley Chief Operating Officer Cancer Institute NSW
Mr Scott Maunder Operations Manager, Registers Cancer Institute NSW
Dr Helen Moore Representative of Epidemiology NSW Health Department
Branch of NSW Health
Prof David Roder Acting Director of Population Health Cancer Institute NSW
and Registries Unit
Dr Narelle Shadbolt Representative from the Royal Australasian Royal Australasian College of
College of General Practitioners General Practitioners
Prof Bernard Stewart Director of Cancer Services Director of Cancer Services South
Eastern Sydney Area Health Service
Ms Elizabeth Tracey Manager and Registrar NSW Cancer Institute NSW
Central Cancer Registry
Cancer Research Advisory Committee
Member Position Institution
A/Prof Stephen Ackland Director, Dept of Medical Oncology Newcastle Mater Misericordiae
Hospital
A/Prof Michael Barton Research Director, Collaboration for Cancer South Western Sydney Area
Cancer Outcomes Research and Evaluation Health Service, Liverpool
Ms Mercia Bush Community Representative
A/Prof Christine Clarke NHMRC Principal Research Fellow Millennium Institute, Westmead
Cancer Institute NSW 75
Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
Cancer Research Advisory Committee (continued)
Member Position Institution
Prof Enrico Coiera Foundation Professorial Chair in University of New South Wales
Medical Informatics
A/Prof Roger Daly NH& MRC Principal Research Fellow Garvan Institute of Medical Research
Mr Max Gardner (deceased) Co-Chair Cancer Voices NSW
A/Prof Afaf Girgis Director of Centre for Health research University of Newcastle
& Psycho-Oncology
Ms Cheryl Grant Consumer Cancer Voices NSW
Prof Peter Gunning (Chair) Head of the Oncology Research Unit Children's Hospital, Westmead
Dr Anne Hamilton Staff Specialist, Medical Oncology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
Sydney Cancer Centre
Prof Phillip Hogg Head of Program Children's Cancer Institute Australia
Prof John Hopper Director, Center for Genetic Epidemiology University of Melbourne
Prof Douglas Joshua Director,The Institute of Haematology Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
Dr Deborah Marsh Senior Research Fellow Kolling Institute of Medical Research
A/Prof Murray David Norris Head, Molecular Diagnostics Program Children's Cancer Institute Australia
A/Prof John Rasko Group Head, Gene Therapy Laboratory Centenary Institute
Prof John Rostas Executive Director Hunter Medical Research Institute
Prof Rodney Scott Head of the Discipline of Medical Genetics University of Newcastle and
School of Biomedical Sciences John Hunter Hospital
Prof Rob Sutherland Director, Cancer Research Program Garvan Institute of Medical Research
A/Prof Robyn Ward Staff Specialist Medical Oncology St Vincent's Hospital
A/Prof Jeanette Ward Area Director of Population Health South Western Sydney Area Health
Service
Dr Maree Gleeson Ex-Officio Ministry of Science and Medical
Research
Carmel Edwards Ex-Officio Cancer Institute NSW
Prof Jim Bishop Ex-Officio Cancer Institute NSW
Clinical Services Advisory Committee
Member Position Institution
Prof Bruce Barraclough Director of Cancer Services (DACS) - Royal North Shore Hospital
North Sydney/Central Coast AHS
Dr Phillip Beale Director Medical Oncology and Concord Hospital
representative for Greater Western AHS
Prof Phil Clingan Acting DACS - South Eastern Sydney Director Cancer Services - and
Illawarra AHS Wollongong Hospital
Ms Kerry Cooke Community Representative Community Representative
Ms Sally Crossing Community Representative Cancer Voices NSW
Ms Mary Foley Chief Executive Officer St Vincents and Mater Health
A/Prof Paul Harnett (Chair) DACS - Sydney West AHS Westmead and Nepean Hospitals
Prof Michael Kidd Head- Department of General Practice University of Sydney
76 Cancer Institute NSW
Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
Clinical Services Advisory Committee (continued)
Member Position Institution
Ms Tish Lancaster Acting Chairperson CNSA Westmead Hospital
A/Prof Glen Marshall Centre for Children's Cancer and Sydney Children's Hospital
Blood Disorders
Ms Kathy Meleady Director, Statewide Services NSW Department of Health
Development Branch
Prof Chris O'Brien DACS - Sydney/Sydney West AHS Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
Dr Denise Robinson Chief Health Officer and Deputy NSW Department of Health
Director-General of Health
Ms Kym Scanlon Associate Director, Health Priorities, NSW Department of Health
Quality and Clinical Policy Branch
A/ProfessorTom Shakespeare DACS - North Coast AHS Coffs Harbour Hospital
Prof Allan Spigelman Acting DACS - Hunter New England AHS John Hunter Hospital
Professor Bernard Stewart Acting DACS - South Eastern Sydney South Eastern Sydney
and Illawarra AHS and Illawarra AHS
A/Prof Robin Stuart-Harris DACS - ACT Cancer Stream The Canberra Hospital
Complementary Therapy Sub-Committee
Member Position Institution
Prof Alan Bensoussan Director Centre for Complementary
Medicine Research, University of
Western Sydney
Prof Stephen Clarke (Chairperson) Professor of Medicine
Concord Hospital
Ms Melanie Cocks Community representative Cancer Voices NSW
Dr Paul De Sousa Medical Oncologist Cancer Care Centre, St George
Hospital
A/Prof John Eden Reproductive endocrinologist School of Women's & Children's
Health, Royal Hospital for Women
Mr Chris Harris Community representative
Ms Petrea King Director Quest for Life
A/Prof Andrew McLachlan Director Clinical Studies Herbal Medicines Research and
Education Centre, Faculty of
Pharmacy.The University of Sydney
Prof Stephen Meyer Director Australian Centre for
Complementary Medicine
Ms Annette Polizois Social worker Westmead Hospital
Ms Jane Read Dietitian Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
Ms Lorraine Rodden Manager Calvary Holistic Healing Centre
Mr John Stubbs Community representative Cancer Voices NSW
Ms Lydia Visintin Nursing unit manager Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
Cancer Institute NSW 77
Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
Cancer Trials Group Steering Committee
Member Position Institution
Dr Ann Hamilton (Chair) Medical Oncologist, Director Clinical Trials, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
Sydney Cancer Centre
A/Prof Howard Gurney Medical Oncologist, Director Sydney West Westmead Hospital
Clinical Trials Centre
Professor John Thompson Surgeon, Director Sydney Melanoma Unit Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
Dr Paul DeSouza Medical Oncologist St George Hospital
Professor Michael Friedlander Medical Oncologist, Chair ANZ GOG Prince of Wales Hospital
Dr Peter O'Brien Radiation Oncologist, Chair TROG Mater Hospital Newcastle
Dr Nick Pavlakis Medical Oncologist,Treasurer MOG Royal North Shore Hospital
Professor John Simes Director NHMRC CTC, Board Member NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre
(ex-officio) Cancer institute NSW, Medical Oncologist
Dr Martin Stockler Co-Director NHMRC (Oncology) CTC, NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre
(ex-officio) Cancer Trials NSW (NSW Cancer Council),
Medical Oncologist
Ms Marie Malica Manager, Research Strategy NSW Cancer Council
Ms Carmel Edwards (ex-officio) Director, Research Programs Cancer Institute NSW
Professor Jim Bishop (ex-officio) CEO, Chief Cancer Officer Cancer Institute NSW
Grants Review Committee
Member Position Institution
A/Prof Lin Fritschi Head, Epidemiology Unit Viertel Centre for Research in
Cancer Control Queensland
Cancer Fund, Brisbane
Prof John Funder(Chair) Professor of Medicine Monash University and Senior
Fellow Prince Henry's Institute of
Medical Research, Melbourne
Prof John Hopper Director, Centre for Genetic Epidemiology University of Melbourne, Melbourne
Prof Michael Millward Professor, Clinical Cancer Research University of Western Australia,
Perth
Dr Richard Pestell Director Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer
Centre, Washington DC, USA
A/Prof Andrew Scott Director,Tumour Targeting Program Ludwig Institute for Cancer
Research, Austin Hospital,
Melbourne
Prof Wayne Tilley Dame Roma Mitchell Chair in The University of Adelaide, Adelaide
Cancer Research
Prof Robert Thomas Director of Division of Surgical Oncology Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre,
and Chief Medical Officer Melbourne
78 Cancer Institute NSW
Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
Pap Test Register Advisory Committee
Member Position Institution
Prof Richard Taylor (Chair) Head and Professor, Division of International University of Queensland
Health, School of Population Health,
Faculty of Health Sciences
Dr Gerry Wain Scientific Director, Cervical Cancer Institute NSW
Screening Program
Ms Jayne Ross Manager, Cervical Screening Program Cancer Institute NSW
Ms Helen Moore Senior Epidemiologist and Manager, NSW Health
Population Health Indicators and Reporting
Branch Centre for Epidemiology and Research
Ms Amanda McBride General Practitioner
Ms Jane Mills Consumer representative
Dr Chris Dalrymple Gynaecologist Sydney South West Area Health
Service
Ms Yeqin Zuo Strategic Manager, NSW Pap Test Register Cancer Institute NSW
Dr Claire Biro Chief Gynaecological Pathologist Mayre Health Laverty Pathology
Dr Suzanne Hyne Gynaecological pathologist Mayre Health Laverty Pathology
Dr Paul Jelfs Director, Division of Population Health Cancer Institute NSW
and Cancer Registries
Patient Support Working Party
Member Position Institution
Ms Isabelle Almendrades Community Representative
Dr Fran Boyle Medical Oncologist Royal North Shore Hospital
Prof Phyllis Butow Professor of Health Psychology University of Sydney
Ms Julie Carriol Community Representative
Jane Cruickshank Community Representative Cancer Voices NSW
A/Prof Afaf Girgis Director, Centre for Health Research & University of Newcastle
(Deputy Chair) Psycho-oncology
Ms Kim Hobbs Social worker Westmead Hospital
Ms Tish Lancaster Clinical nurse consultant Westmead Hospital
Ms Jacqueline Lim Clinical psychologist St George Hospital
Dr Catherine Mason Psychiatrist Nepean Hospital
Prof Rob Sanson-Fisher (Chair) Professor of Health Behaviour University of Newcastle
Ms Emma Sayers Consumer representative
Ms Gina Svolos Social worker Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
Cancer Institute NSW 79
Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
Population Health and Screening Working Party
Member Position Institution
Prof Bruce Armstrong (Chair) Associate Dean University of Sydney
Ms Ann Brassil Director BreastScreen NSW
A/Prof Bill Bellew Director, Population Health NSW Department of Health
Prof Simon Chapman School of Public Health University of Sydney
Prof Mark Elwood Director National Cancer Control Initiative
Prof Michael Hensley Dean University of Newcastle
Ms Roberta Higginson Community Representative Cancer Voices NSW
Ms Sally Hodgkinson Community Representative
Ms Andriana Koukari Director of Screening Australian Government Department
of Health and Ageing
Dr Andrew Penman CEO Cancer Council NSW
Dr Denise Robinson Chief Health Officer NSW Department of Health
Ms Jayne Ross Manager NSW Cervical Screening Program
Prof Jeanette Ward Director South Western Sydney Area
Health Service
Quality and Clinical Effectiveness Advisory Committee
Member Position Institution
Prof Bruce Barraclough Director of Area Cancer Services Royal North Shore Hospital Institute
Chairman for Clinical Excellence
A/Prof Michael Barton Research Director Collaboration for Cancer Outcomes
Research and Evaluation
A/Prof Michael Boyer Sr Staff Specialist & Head of Department Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
of Medical Oncology
Prof Ken Bradstock Sr Staff Specialist, Department Westmead Hospital
of Haematology
Dr Patrick Cregan (Chair) Clinical Director of Surgery, Nepean Hospital, Wentworth Area
Health Service
Dr Phil Clingan Area Director of Cancer Services Wollongong Hospital
Dr Michael Donnellan Surgeon Prince of Wales Hospital
Prof Stewart Dunn (Deputy Chair) Professor of Psychological Medicine
Royal North Shore Hospital
Prof Kerry Goulston Chairman Greater Metropolitan Transition
Taskforce
Ms Eveline Hughes Community Representative
Ms Louise Maher Clinical Nurse Consultant Westmead Hospital
Dr Ian O'Rourke (Deceased) Director Institute of Clinical Excellence
Ms Maureen Robinson Director Quality and Clinical Policy Branch NSW Department of Health
Mr John Stubbs Consumer Representative Cancer Voices NSW
80 Cancer Institute NSW
Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
Radiotherapy Joint Working Party Jointly convened with the NSW Department of Health
Member Position Institution
Ms Sue Ball St Vincent's Hospital
Prof Jim Bishop (Co-convenor) CEO Cancer Institute NSW
Prof James Boehm Chief Physicist St George Hospital
Dr Colin Bull (Chair) Director Westmead Hospital Radiation .
Oncology
Mr Harry Collins Community Representative Cancer Voices NSW
Dr Stephen Cooper Radiation Oncologist Riverina Cancer Care Centre
Dr Geoff Delaney Director, Radiation Oncology Liverpool Hospital
Ms Heather Gray Wentworth Area Health Service
Mr Christopher Harris Community Representative
Dr Michael Jackson Acting Director of Radiation Oncology Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
Ms Elizabeth Koff South Eastern Sydney Area Health
Service
Dr Denise Lonergan Director, Radiation Oncology Prince of Wales Hospital
Ms Kathy Meleady Director, Statewide Services NSW Department of Health
(Co-convenor)
Prof Peter Metcalfe Illawarra Cancer Care Centre
Dr Graeme Morgan Director, Radiation Oncology Royal North Shore Hospital
Ms Kim Small St George Hospital Cancer
Care Centre
A/Prof Phillip Yuile Director, Radiation Oncology The Mater Hospital, North Sydney
Dr Roger Allison Director, QRMI Royal Brisbane Hospital
Dr Liz Kenny Radiation Oncologist Royal Brisbane Hospital
Prof Lester Peters Director, Radiation Oncology Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute
Registries Studies Advisory Committee
Member Position Institution
Dr Paul Jelfs (Chair) Director, Population Health & Registries. Cancer Institute NSW.
Dr Anne Kricker Research Director, Cancer Genes, University of Sydney.
Environment and Behaviour Program.
Prof Anthony Zwi Head, School of Public Health University of NSW.
& Community Medicine
Ms Helen Moore Manager, Population Health Indicators. Centre for Epidemiology &
Research, NSW Health.
Ms Elizabeth Tracey Strategic Manager, Data Custodian, Cancer Institute NSW.
NSW Central Cancer Registry.
Ms Yequin Zuo Strategic Manager, Data Custodian, Cancer Institute NSW.
Pap Test Register.
Rodney Ecclestone Ethics Manager. Cancer Institute NSW.
Cancer Institute NSW 81
Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
Rural Cancer Services Working Party
Member Position Institution
Dr Stephen Begbie Director of Oncology The Highfields Centre, Port
Macquarie
Ms Jill Boehm Board Member Cancer Institute NSW, Cancer
(Chair from January 2005) Chief Executive Officer CPAS Patients Assistance Society of
NSW, Sydney
Ms Meredith Cummins Chief Nurse Riverina Cancer Care Centre,
Wagga Wagga
Ms Jenny Fulcher Community Representative; North & North-West Cancer
Regional Coordinator Patient Assistance Society, Uralla
Mr Ian Hatton Coordinator Rural Palliative Care Program,
Griffith
Dr Theam-Eng Khoo Chief Executive Officer Mid Western Area Health Service,
Bathurst
Dr Geoffrey Pritchard Board Member Director Clinical Services
(Chair July-December 2004) Cancer Institute NSW Greater Southern Area
Health Service, Queanbeyan
A/Prof Stuart Schneider Chief Executive Officer Greater Southern Area Health
Service, Queanbeyan
Mr Terry Smith Community Representative Cancer Voices NSW, Adelong
Ms Helen Snodgrass Cancer nurse coordinator oncology Mid Western Area Health Service,
Orange; NSW Institute of Rural
Clinical Services and Teaching
Dr Craig Underhill Medical Oncologist Wodonga Border Oncology
A/Prof Phillip Yuile Radiation Oncologist Private Practice, Sydney
Dr Adam Boyce Director Medical Oncology Lismore Base Hospital
Ms Diane Fisher Regional Programs Coordinator Cancer Council NSW, Ballina
Ms Karen Gorzynska Oncology cancer nurse coordinator Grafton Base Hospital
Ms Ros Johnson Manager Rural Health Implementation Statewide Services, NSW Health
Mrs Patricia Luker Community Representative
Mr Damien Williams Manager Riverina Cancer Care Centre,
Wagga Wagga
Standard Cancer Treatment Protocols Steering Committee
Member Position Institution
Jen Bichel-Findlay Project Manage Cancer Institute NSW
Professor Jim Bishop Chief Executive Officer Cancer Institute NSW
Dr Matthew Links Staff Specialist, Medical Oncology St George Hospital
Deirdre D'Souza Oncology Pharmacist Westmead Hospital
Prof Robyn Ward (Chair) Program Director St Vincent's Hospital
82 Cancer Institute NSW
Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
Tobacco Campaign Reference Group
Member Position Institution
Jim Bishop Chief Cancer Officer Cancer Institute NSW
Prof Simon Chapman School of Public Health University of Sydney
Trish Cotter (Chair) Program Manager,Tobacco Cancer Institute NSW
Anita Dessaix Project Officer Tobacco Cancer Institute NSW
Prof Rob Donovan RJD Consulting Curtin University
Paul Fishlock Chairman The Campaign Palace/Red Cell
David Manning Head of Communications Cancer Institute NSW
John Sanders Manager Tobacco & Health Branch NSW Health
Malcolm Stewart Director Customedia
Margaret Thomas Manager SRD Branch NSW Health
Judith Watt Protocol Management
Cancer Institute NSW 83
Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
Appendix 4
Funds allocated to health and research institutions
Cancer Institute NSW Scholar Awards - Round 1 ($25,000 per year)
Institution Topic Tenure
Westmead Millenium Institute Impact of DNA damage and breast cancer 1 year
University of Sydney mutations on BRCA1 nuclear localisation
and focus formation
School of Biological Sciences PAI-2 cancer therapy: shrinking the magic bullet 1 year
University of Wollongong
School of Public Health The relationship between physical activity, 3 years
University of Sydney anthropometry and cancer risk -
epidemiology and methodological issues.
School of Public Health Communicating information to women 1 year
University of Sydney about diagnostic tests to investigate
a breast symptom
Garvan Institute of Medical Research Oestrogen target genes and endocrine 3 years
University of New South Wales resistance in breast cancer
Kolling Institute of Medical Research Regulation of nuclear hormone receptor 2 years
University of Sydney signalling by insulin-like growth factor
binding proteins in breast cancer
The Children's Hospital at Westmead Cognitive behaviour therapy for children 1 year
University of Sydney and adolescents with leukaemia
Westmead Millenium Institute Drug metabolism and inflammation 2 years
University of Sydney in malignancy
Westmead Millenium Institute Determination of diagnostic molecular 1 year
University of Sydney profiles for intraduct lesions of the breast
Kolling Institute of Medical Research Genomic and proteomic study of 2 years
University of Sydney ovarian cancer
84 Cancer Institute NSW
Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
Funds allocated to health and research institutions
Cancer Institute NSW Fellowships - (Round 1 $592,800 over 3 years)
Institution Topic
Centenary Institute of Cancer Medicine and Cell Biology Interactions of multi drug transporters and
Westmead Institute for Cancer Research new anti-cancer drugs, and their regulation
by MYC oncogenes
Westmead Millennium Institute CXCR4 Antagonists In Acute lymphoblastic
University of Sydney Leukaemia in NOD/SCID Mice
Garvan Institute of Medical Research Characterisation of HSPC-111, a potential
University of New South Wales novel effector of c-Myc action in human
breast cancer
Childrens Hospital at Westmead Tumour protein D52 in cancer
University of Sydney initiation and diagnosis
Medical Psychology Research Unit Discussing prognosis & end-of-life issues with
University of Sydney incurable cancer patients
Department of Dermatology, Mechanisms and prevention of ultraviolet
University of Sydney radiation-induced immunosuppression and
cutaneous carcinogenesis in humans
Department of Medicine Development of treatments for prostate
University of Sydney cancer
Garvan Institute of Medical Research Genetic susceptibility to
University of New South Wales breast and prostate cancer
Garvan Institute of Medical Research Therapeutic targets for improved prostate
University of New South Wales cancer diagnosis and treatment
The Children's Institute for Medical Research, Mechanisms that regulate cellular life span
University of New South Wales
Kolling Institute of Medical Research Functional Genomic Analyses of Human
University of Sydney, Tumorigenesis
Garvan Institute of Medical Research Role of cell cycle regulating genes in
University of New South Wales breast epithelial cell proliferation,
differentiation & oncogenesis
Cancer Institute NSW 85
Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
Funds allocated to health and research institutions
Cancer Institute NSW Grant Award Recipients - (Round 1 $3,750,000 for 5 years)
Program
Methods to predict metastatic spread and responsivness to chemotherapy in prostate cancer patients with
hormonal resistant disease
Administering Institution
Garvan Institute of Medical Research, 384 Victoria Street Darlinghurst NSW 2010
Lead Scientists
Name Institution
Assoc Prof Susan Clark Garvan Institute of Medical Research
Prof Robert Sutherland Garvan Institute of Medical Research
Dr Susan Henshall Garvan Institute of Medical Research
Prof Pam Russell Oncology Research Centre
Prince of Wales Hospital
Dr Lisa Horvath Sydney Cancer Centre, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
Assoc Prof Michael Boyer Sydney Cancer Centre, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
Prof C-Soon Lee Department of Anatomical Pathology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
Dr James Kench Institute of Clinical Pathology & Medical Research Westmead Hospital
Dr Peter Molloy CSIRO Molecular Science
Assoc Prof John Grygiel Department of Medical Oncology, St Vincents Hospital
Assoc Prof Phillip Stricker Department of Urology, St Vincent's Clinic
86 Cancer Institute NSW
Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
Funds allocated to health and research institutions
Clinical Trial Nurses and Data Manager Grants - ($89,900 for 1 year)
Hospital/Institution Trial Centre
Newcastle Mater Miscericordiae Hospital Melanoma Trials Unit
Newcastle Mater Miscericordiae Hospital Department of Radiation Oncology
Wollongong Hospital Clinical Trials Unit, Illawarra Cancer Care Centre
Westmead Hospital Sydney West Cancer Trials Centre
Lismore Base Hospital/University Cancer Care and Haematology Unit
Department of Rural Health
Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Institute of Haematology Transplant and Clinical Trials Unit
Newcastle Mater Misericordiae Hospital Department of Surgical Oncology
St Vincent's Hospital Oncology Clinical Trials Unit
University of Sydney Sydney Melanoma Unit
Nepean Hospital Nepean Cancer Care Centre
South West Sydney Cancer Service South West Sydney Cancer Services Research Group
Newcastle Mater Miscericordiae Hospital Department of Medical Oncology
Clinical Trials Office
Prince of Wales Hospital Oncology Day Centre
Sydney Haematology and Oncology Clinics Sydney Haematology and Oncology Clinics: Clinical Trials Unit
Northern Sydney Health
Royal North Shore Hospital Royal North Shore Clinical Trials Unit
Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Sydney Cancer Centre
St George and Sutherland Hospital St George Cancer Centre Clinical Trials Unit
Westmead and Nepean Hospitals Clinical Haematology
Albury Base Hospital and Murray Valley Border Medical Oncology
Private Hospital
Port Macquarie Base Hospital Oncology Unit
Cancer Institute NSW 87
Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
Funds allocated to health and research institutions
Infrastructure Grants Round 1 2005 - (Total funding $7,367,209 over 2-3 years)
Administering Institution Research Beneficiaries Infrastructure Funding
Centenary Institute of Cancer Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Infrastructure funding for
Medicine and Cell Biology flow cytometry facility
Sydney South West Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Infrastructure support for a new
Area Health Service Institute of Haematology Cell and Molecular Therapy Unit
Macquarie University Australian Proteome Analysis Facility Infrastucture funding for NSW
Cancer Proteomics Research
Westmead Institute for Cancer Area Health Services, Garvan Institute Breast cancer biospecimen
Research, University of Sydney of Medical Research, Kolling Institute of resource
Medical Research, Westmead Millenium
Institute
University of Newcastle Newcastle Mater Hospital - Infrastructure funding for
Radiation Oncology and Royal Trans Tasman Radiation
Australian and New Zealand Oncology Group
Collage of Radiologists
Sydney West Area Health Services Westmead Millennium Institute X-ray irradiator for cellular
molecular studies of the role
of ionising radiation in
carcinogenesis and DNA repair
processes
Centenary Institute of Cancer Centenary Institute of Cancer Digital imaging
Medicine and Cell Biology Medicine and Cell Biology quantification station
University of New South Wales St Vincent's Hospital, Infrastructure funding for clinical
St George Hospital, Prince of Wales trials research and coordination
and Illawarra Area Health Service
Kolling Institute of Medical Research Proteomics and Genomics Laboratories- Infrastructure funding for
University of Sydney Royal North Shore Hospital cancer functional genomics
ANZAC Research Institute Concord Hospital Establishment of a centre for the
Pharmacokinetics and
pharmacogenetic evaluation of
cancer drugs, nutritional
interventions and complementary
therapies.
Newcastle Mater Misericordiae University of Newcastle Flow cytometry equipment
Hospital, Hunter and New England
Area Health Service
University of Newcastle Newcastle Mater Misericordiae Hospital Research to improve radiation
Radiation Oncology delivery
University of New South Wales Prince of Wales Hospital Tissue microarrayer to enable
pathological studies of cancer
Sydney South West Liverpool Hospital Linking radiation oncology
Area Health Service databases to NSW inpatient
statistics collection
Northern Sydney Central Royal North Shore Hospital Thyroid Cancer - enhancing
Coast Area Health Service management and research outcomes
88 Cancer Institute NSW
Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
Funds allocated to health and research institutions
CI Infrastructure Grants Round 1 2005 - (Total funding $7,367,209 over 2-3 years)
Administering Institution Research Beneficiaries Infrastructure Funding
Children's Hospital at Westmead Oncology Research Unit at Children's Integrated Live Cell Imaging
Hospital at Westmead System for cancer research
University of Newcastle Australian New Zealand Breast Cancer Infrastructure funding for the
Trials Group (ANZ BCTG) Australian New Zealand Breast
Cancer Trials Group
University of Sydney Medical Psychology Research Unit NSW Psycho-oncology
Cooperative Research Group
University of Newcastle Hunter Medical Research Institute Proactive routine monitoring and
Liverpool Hospital, Nepean Hospital intervention to reduce the
Newcastle Mater Misericordiae Hospital psychosocial impact of cancer
therapy
Children's Hospital at Westmead Tumour Bank Establishment of a Pathology Support
Unit for NSW cancer research
South Eastern Sydney Area St Vincent's Hospital Infrastructure funding for human
Health Service tissue research.
University of Sydney NHMRC Clinical Trial Centre Infrastructure support for the
Australasian Gastro-intestinal Trials
Group (AGITG)
University of Sydney School of Public Health Building statistical and health
economics capacity for research
in cancer screening and diagnosis
Australian Nuclear Science and Radiopharmaceutical Division The Establishment of a Small
Technology Organisation Animal SPECT/CT Imaging System
University of Sydney Department of Medicine, Physiology & Photocarcinogenesis (Ultraviolet
Veterinary Sciences at the University of Radiation Induced Skin
Sydney. Department of Dematology Carcinogenesis) infrastructure
at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital funding
Garvan Institute of Medical Cancer Research Programs Infrastructure support for a
Research Research Cancer Genetics and
Genomics Facility
Cancer Institute NSW Clinical Trials Partnership Round 2 (1,887,797 over 2.5 years)
Summary
The proposed clinical trials research program will support investigator-initiated cancer clinical trials undertaken or
coordinated in NSW and led or supported through the NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre.This will provide the
infrastructure to establish and develop new collaborative groups and clinical trials in cancer areas not currently
addressed by the existing cancer collaborative groups.
Administering Institution
NHMRC Clinical Trials Unit, University of Sydney
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Appendix 5 - Organisational Policies and Reporting
Freedom of Information Act
The Cancer Institute NSW is currently not prescribed under the Freedom of Information Act and does not have
a "Principal Officer" under Schedule 1 of the Act. All requests for information under the Freedom of Information
Act are managed by the Department of Health.There was only one request to the Cancer Institute NSW for
information during the 2004-2005 financial year and this was processed by the Department of Health in
collaboration with the Institute.
Privacy Management Plan
The Cancer Institute NSW Privacy Management Plan identifies how the Cancer Institute NSW and all agencies and
health services funded by the Institute will comply with the privacy legislation.The Plan provides detail of how the
Institute intends to protect the privacy of its clients, staff and the public when it processes personal information, to
assist people who may wish to exercise their rights under the PPIP Act or the HRIP Act, and make a complaint or
request for an internal review. For the timeframe for this annual report there have been no complaints received by
the Institute regarding its dealings with personal information under the PPIP Act and personal health information
under the HRIP Act that have resulted in the requirement for a Request for Internal Review.
Risk Management and Insurance arrangements and activities affecting the Cancer Institute NSW
The Cancer Institute NSW has an Organisation Wide Risk Assessment that identifies risks across the Institute
and identifies areas of possible improvement in risk control and risk minimisation.The Institute is covered by the
Treasury Managed Fund for all insurance coverage.The Institute has not submitted an Insurance claim for the
period covered in this annual report.
Overseas visits by Cancer Institute NSW staff 2004 / 2005
The schedule of overseas visits includes all Cancer Institute NSW staff. This travel has been funded by the
Institute's Administration budget.
Professor Jim Bishop
● 16th EORTC - NCI - AACR Symposium on "Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics" - Geneva, Switzerland
(28th September - 1st October 2004)
● The 41st Annual Meeting of American Society of Clinical Oncology - Orlando, Florida USA
(13th May - 17th May 2005)
Publications
During the year the Cancer Institute NSW published the following publications and reports
The Cancer Plan: Nursing, Clinical Trials and Psychosocial Support.
The Cancer Plan: and Research
The Cancer Plan: and People Affected by Cancer
The Cancer Plan: and Primary Care
Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2003/04
Cancer Institute NSW Incidence and Mortality 2003
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APPENDIX 6 - Human Resources
The Cancer Institute NSW employees staff that have specific expertise in a range of cancer control activities. Staff
have reasonability to develop and implement cancer control programs.
Number of full time equivalent staff employed at the Cancer Institute NSW
Full-time Equivalent as at 30 June 2005
Division 2004/05
Cancer Services and Education 10.5
Cancer Research 5
Cancer Prevention 2.8
Cancer Information 29.6
Cancer Communications 3
Corporate Administration 12.4
Total Staff 63.3
Number of Executive Officers
Name Position Title/Salary SES Level
Prof Jim Bishop Chief Cancer Officer /Chief Executive Officer SES (Equivalent) Officer Level 7
Remuneration $302,702 + $26,000 Recruitment Allowance
Ms Beth Macauley Chief Operating Officer SES (Equivalent) Officer Level 2
Dr Paul Jelfs Director Population Health and Registries SES (Equivalent) Officer Level 2
Denise Thomas Director Cancer Services and Education SES (Equivalent) Officer Level 2
Human Resource Policies
The Human Resources Division is responsible for developing and implementing human resource policies for the
Cancer Institute NSW as well as providing strategic and operational advice and service to managers and support
and guidance to staff on human resource issues. All of these activities are designed to underpin the establishment
and maintenance of a high performance organisation.
Human resource issues include conditions of employment, recruitment and selection, equity, job evaluation and
establishment, organisational development and change, performance management, learning and development,
salaries, occupational health and safety, grievance resolution, workers compensation and rehabilitation.
From the outset the Cancer Institute NSW has adopted key human resource policies from the NSW Department
of Health and from the NSW Premiers Department. Over the next year, Cancer Institute NSW human resource
policies will be developed and implemented.
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Equal employment opportunity
The Cancer Institute NSW is committed to embracing workplace rules, policies, practices and behaviours that are
fair and that encourage a diverse and skilled workforce and that do not disadvantage people because they belong
to particular EEO groups.
Our major outcomes in this year have been:
Enshrining merit based selection processes and practices to ensure that the 'best fit' candidate is appointed to
vacancies regardless of their EEO group.
The development of a comprehensive induction program to ensure that our workplace is free from all forms
of unlawful discrimination and harassment.
In the next year we will develop and implement a performance management program. This will enable the Cancer
Institute NSW to identify employee training and career development needs.
Occupational Health and Safety
The Cancer Institute NSW established an Occupational Health & Safety Committee in February 2005, and
subsequently released an Occupational Health & Safety Policy (OHS) Statement and Consultation Statement
across the organisation.
The Cancer Institute NSW is in the process of developing an OHS Policy and Workers Compensation and Injury
Management Policy. For the interim period the Cancer Institute NSW has adopted the NSW Department of
Health's OHS Policy and Workers Compensation and Injury Management Policy.
The following OHS initiatives will be introduced in the coming year:
Development and implementation of the Cancer Institute NSW OHS Policy and Workers Compensation and
Injury Management Policy
A First Aid Room
Review/update of First Aid Officers and First Aid Training
The number of Workers Compensation claims at the Cancer Institute NSW was four, and the nature of the claims
was predominantly slips/trips.
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Appendix 7 - Financial Overview Summary
The actual spending proportions for the various areas of activity in the Cancer Institute are in
line with budgeted proportions. For details of financial performance for 2004/05, please refer
to audited financial statements (page 49).
2004/2005 Results (‘000)
Actual Budget Variance
Administration IT and Human Resources 3,408 3,726 318
NSW Cancer Plan 2004-2006 Programs
Information and Registeries 5,122 6,600 1,478
Cancer Services 12,356 14,303 1,947
Education 768 1,196 428
Research 8,422 8,934 512
Prevention 3,780 3,581 (199)
Total NSW Cancer Plan 2004-2006 Programs 30,448 34,614 4,166
Total Cancer Institute NSW 33,856 38,340 4,484
Education Education
Information 2% Cancer Information 3% Cancer
& Registries Services & Registries Services
15% 37% 16% 37%
Prevention
11% Prevention
10%
Admin & HR Admin & HR
10% 10%
Research Research
25% 24%
Actual Spending Budgeted Spending
The surplus of $4.5 million reported above has been allocated to Cancer Institute programs
in the 2005/06 financial year.
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Appendix 8 - The 2005/06 Budget - Cancer Institute NSW
The Cancer Institute NSW has received its 2005/06 allocation.
The allocation includes core funding of $65m plus funding from NSW Health for the screening programs.
Cancer Workforce Development
In 2005/06, the Cancer Institute NSW will support the further development of the cancer health professional
workforce. Opportunities to increase the skills of the workforce and of cancer researchers will also be supported.
Programs planned to develop the clinical and research workforce include:
Clinical Fellowships
This program will target newly qualified cancer specialists to provide opportunities to upgrade their skills in
clinical practice, research and teaching.
Travel Grants
This program will allow cancer nurses and allied health staff to attend meetings and education programs to
upgrade their skills.
Nursing Scholarships
This program will provide cancer nurses with access to key competency and educational courses directly related
to their service needs.
Clinical Research Fellowships
This program will allow specialists to have protected time to develop and introduce new research discoveries
into clinical practice.
Health Service Fellowships
This program will provide focused work on methods to improve the models of clinical care for cancer patients.
Multi-disciplinary Care Program
The Cancer Institute NSW will support multi-disciplinary teams providing care to cancer patients. The cancer
patient will be the direct beneficiary of coordinated teams responsible for care. These teams will also enable the
further development of sub-specialised skills, the introduction of standard treatment protocols and pathways and
the introduction of new treatments directly into patient care.
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Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
Better Coordination of Cancer Care
During 2005/06 the Cancer Institute NSW will provide funding for clinical enhancements to cancer services across
the state to improve the coordination of care for both the cancer patient and their carers. Improvements to these
services will be made by ensuring that each patient has the opportunity to access Multidisciplinary care, have access
to a dedicated tumour specific cancer nurse coordinator to walk the patients through their journey and include
patients in the development of their management plans. Further clinical enhancements include upgrading of
radiation services and equipment.
Screening
From 1 July 2005 the Cancer Institute NSW will incorporate BreastScreen NSW and Cervical Screen NSW into
the organization under agreement from DOH. Screening and prevention will be a primary focus for the
forthcoming financial year as the Cancer Institute NSW develops Cancer Screen NSW, incorporating breast,
cervical and in the future bowel cancer screening.
High priority will be given to further improve access to women over 40 years to breast screening and to increase
the participation rates for women aged 50-69 years who will get most of the benefit.
Prevention
Social marketing and tobacco prevention will continue as the Cancer Institute NSW provides prevention programs
and healthy living campaigns.
Research
Cancer research will allow the Cancer Institute NSW to more rapidly improve cancer results, introduce new
treatments and attract a larger share of research funds from the Commonwealth. During 2005/06 the Cancer
Institute NSW will be providing strategic funding for cancer research which will support some of the best
researchers, attract researchers to NSW, and support our most successful scientists to fast track new treatments
from the laboratory to the bedside of patients.
Information
The Cancer Institute NSW will continue to work on the development and modernisation of a population based
register and cervical screening register for cancer. In addition, the Cancer Institute NSW will fund the development
and implementation of a Clinical Cancer Register pilot project, which will start to record treatment details, and
timelines of the cancer patient's journey.
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Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
Appendix 9 - Cancer Institute NSW Reporting on Payment of Accounts
Aged analysis at the end of each quarter
Quarter Current Less than 60 days 90 days More than 90
(i.e. within 30 days overdue overdue days overdue
due date)
September Quarter 0 0 0 0 0
December Quarter 581 0 0 0 0
March Quarter 14,053 0 0 0 0
June Quarter 1,021,769 0 0 0 0
Accounts paid on time within each quarter
Quarter Target Actual $ Amount Paid ($)
September Quarter 88% 0% - -
December Quarter 88% 94% 567,391 591,216
March Quarter 88% 95% 1,239,582 1,392,963
June Quarter 88% 93% 11,271,872 11,766,603
During 2004/2005 there were no instances where penalty interest was paid in accordance with section 18 of the
Public Finance and Audit (General) Regulation 1995.
There were no significant events that affected payment performance during the reporting period.
During 2004/2005 September Quarter, the payables function was through NSW Health Finance, and therefore
would be included in their reporting.
To improve future performance monthly reviews will be conducted in the first six months. The Target will be
increased to 90%.
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Cancer Institute NSW Annual Report 2005
Appendix 10 - Consultancies
Consultants Used By Cancer Institute NSW 2004/2005
During the year, the Cancer Institute NSW engaged 14 consultants to provide expert advice on cancer research
and clinical programs.The total cost of consultancies was $48,484.
Appendix 11 - Cancer Institute NSW - Credit Card Certification 2004/2005
It is affirmed that for the 2004 / 2005 financial year credit card use within the Cancer Institute NSW was in
accordance with Premier's memoranda and Treasurer's Directions.
Credit card use
Credit card use within the Cancer Institute NSW is largely limited to:
The reimbursement of travel and subsistence expense
The purchase of books and publications
Seminar and conference deposits
Travel bookings deposits
Official business use whilst engaged in overseas travel
Documenting credit card use
The following measures are used to monitor the use of credit cards within the Cancer Institute NSW:
The Cancer Institute NSW’s credit card policy is documented. Prior to the documentation of the Cancer
Institute NSW’s policy, the NSW Health policy on credit cards was followed.
Reports and statements on the appropriateness of credit card usage are periodically lodged for management
consideration.
Six-monthly reports / compliance surveys are submitted to Treasury, certifying that the Cancer Institute NSW’s
credit card use is within the guidelines issued.
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100 Cancer Institute NSW
Cancer Institute NSW
NSW Centr al Cancer Registr y
Level 1 Biomedical Building,
Austr alian Technology, Par k Eveleigh NSW 2015
Te: 02 8374 5600
Fax: 02 8374 5700
www.cancer institute .or g.au
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